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InspirationIllustration

Emiliano Ponzi paints a visionary history of Venice

If you're doing Dry January, then look away now. Why? Well, Italian illustrator Emiliano Ponzi has done some classy illustrations for a drink brand which might make you sentimental for a glass or two.

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Two figures stand in a modernist gallery viewing a vibrant art deco style mural featuring geometric shapes, the SELECT brand logo and aperitif imagery in red, blue and cream tones

The award-winning artist has worked with SELECT Aperitivo to tell the story of Venice and the drink over the decades. Emiliano's work retraces the history of the brand and its deep bond with the Italian city through eleven tables that tell a Venetian decade, having as its protagonist the iconic ruby red aperitif – a historic emblem of the city's lifestyle.

Stylised illustration of a woman with blonde hair in a red and blue headscarf, holding a glass of red aperitif against a beige background
Red-toned illustration of a sophisticated dinner scene with wine bottle, glass and table setting in shades of coral and navy blue

"It's a long and glorious history that starts in the 1920s," Emiliano tells us. "We began telling this story by finding important events that happened in Venice from the 1920s to 2020. All the illustrations are built to highlight the close and ancient connection between Aperitivo and Venice's people. Particularly as it's not just a drink but contains important values rooted in Italian history: sharing important moments, the pleasure of conviviality, and laughing and drinking after a long day of work."

"In every illustration, we hid the decade in question. For example, in one, celebrating the reopening of the Venice Arts Biennale after the Second World War, people can see '1940' type-drawn inside a painting two visitors are looking at."

Woman in 1950s attire sitting on sofa holding a SELECT Aperitivo bottle, watching a woman in a red dress on television, with a dog at her feet in a blue-toned living room
Silhouetted crowd with raised hands facing a large stage with red and pink lighting against a dark blue sky at night

Emiliano's work has appeared in the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Washington Post, and many more over the years. He is internationally renowned for his bold, textured designs, and has won awards including the Young Guns Award and the Gold Cube from the Art Directors Club of New York.

"I prefer to call my style a language, as 'style' to me seems like a rigid item," he says. "My language is something that can be adjusted; in every new project, I study the best way to communicate with my reference audience to create a custom visual product that can be understood and appreciated. I always try to push towards a more artistic vision, where brands are part of the image but not too predominantly."

"Inspiration is a form of curiosity for what we still have to learn. I'm inspired and happy when I discover something new I want to learn, and I can practice with it on a job."

Illustration of a couple in a theatre box, a woman in a cream dress holding binoculars and a man in a brown suit seated in front of ornate gold and red décor
Art deco illustration of a 1920s Venetian cocktail party with elegantly dressed guests dancing and socialising in an ornate interior, featuring a woman in a pink and black dress as the central figure
Ornate arched window with red velvet curtains set into a red and cream brick wall, framing a glass of ruby red aperitif on a gold platform
Two figures in elaborate red period costumes stand on a waterfront terrace overlooking Venice's skyline across blue water
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