An analgesic pill in a medicine bottle. Colour lithograph by Donald Brun, 1950.

  • Brun, Donald, 1909-1999.
Date:
[1950?]
Reference:
43395i
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view An analgesic pill in a medicine bottle. Colour lithograph by Donald Brun, 1950.

In copyright

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Credit

An analgesic pill in a medicine bottle. Colour lithograph by Donald Brun, 1950. Wellcome Collection. In copyright. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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About this work

Description

The bottle is seen against a black ground, as if at night. The white pill, stamped "Contra-Schmerz", is shown as if on the floor of the bottle, next to a screwtop metal tube from which it has been shaken, yet as the tube is not in the bottle but seen through the glass of the bottle, there is sophisticated interplay between the optical and the conceptual, perhaps reflecting the state of mind of a person with a headache. The white highlights reflected off the shoulder of the bottle leave a black swirling shape, possibly recalling the indication sheet which unwinds as it is released from the tube. The white pill may actually be the screwtop of the tube, not the pill (or as well as the pill). The bottle is sealed with a purple paper or foil top, to which is tied a red label inscribed "votre remède"

Publication/Creation

Bâle [Basel] : Dr Wild & Cie., [1950?] (Bâle [Basel] : Wassermann S.A.)

Physical description

1 print : lithograph, printed in colours ; sheet 127 x 90 cm

Lettering

Contre-douleurs. Contra-Schmerz. Votre remède. Donald Brun. Dr Wild & Cie., Bâle

References note

Jean-Charles Giroud, Donald Brun, [Zurich]: Museum für Gestaltung Zürich; [Wettingen]: Lars Müller, [2001], no. 4 (German language version, date 1950)
M. Robert-Sterkendries, La santé s'affiche, Bruxelles: Therabel, 2003, no. 162, p. 90

Reference

Wellcome Collection 43395i

Type/Technique

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