Carlsberg

Carlsberg was an important customer for Ib Antoni and he drew several illustrations for the Danish company, already as a 21-year-old. When Ib Antoni applied for a scholarship to study in New York in 1956 through “The American-Scandinavian Foundation”, the young artist received a very nice statement from the Carlsberg Breweries’ Propaganda Manager, Rudolf Holst.

J. C. Jacobsen was the son of Jacob Christian Jacobsen, who in 1811 founded the brewery we know today as Carlsberg. In 1835 he went to Munich to study the latest brewing techniques and had a hat box specially made in which he had two containers with “Spaten yeast” and on the trip home to Copenhagen – with stagecoach – he had to stop regularly to keep the yeast moist with cold water. He returned home in 1845 and brewed his first lager in his mother’s copper sink. Carlsberg quickly became successful, and in 1868 the brewery exported its first barrel of beer and Carlsberg grew and became a nationwide and established company production abroad. In 1957, Carlsberg had the honour of presenting their factory in Valby to Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. It was the first state visit to Denmark that the English queen and Prince Philip was on and together with the Danish King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid they toured the Carlsberg factory. Also present was the then 17-year-old Princess Margrethe of Denmark. The English queen had a lot of fun with Ib Antoni’s drawings, that could be seen on the many Carlsberg beer wagons lined up.

As Antoni Legacy is constantly working on cleaning Ib Antoni’s beautiful original drawings, one can never know when a new illustration from Antoni’s hand will see the light of day. But when the illustration is ready for reproduction, it is added to the collection on this page, both under Products, Illustrations and the client for which the illustration is designed. If you have a special interest in, or further knowledge about an Antoni-illustration or an Antoni-customer, you are more than welcome to contact us.

See the products associated with Carlsberg below.