Pythagoras of Samos and Hippocrates both suggested the use of wormwood as a pain reliever. The ancient Greeks and Romans used it too. It is first mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus, a medical treatise dated to 1551 B.C. The use of wormwood as a flavoring agent is predated by its use as a medicinal herb, which dates back to the ancient Egyptians. The latter is often used to give the drink its color. Of the some 200 species of wormwood, which belongs to the Compositae family, grand wormwood ( Artemisia absinthium ) and petite or Roman wormwood ( Artemisia pontica ) are preferred. Wormwood in particular is the key ingredient-absinthe derives its name from the Greek for wormwood, apsínthion. Lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis ) and hyssop ( Hyssopus officinalis ) are added to some recipes. Wormwood imparts a distinctive bitter flavor, while fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare ) and anise ( Pimpinella anisum ) lend the drink it licorice notes. In 2011 the French government finally repealed its 1915 absinthe ban.Absinthe is distilled from a high proof spirit such as brandy, in which dried wormwood and other herbs have been steeped. In recent years, absinthe has seen a worldwide revival in popularity, with growth in artisanal production and a variety of new formulations. By 1915, absinthe had been banned in most of Europe and in the United States. However, absinthe was increasingly tainted by assertions that it was addictive, hallucinogenic and responsible for criminal disorder. By 1910, the French were drinking 36 million liters of absinthe per year. BNF PD.Ībsinthe became so popular in bars, bistros and cafés that, by the 1860s, the hour between 5-6 pm was called l’heure verte (“the green hour”). Édouard Pernot Absinthe extra-supérieure, 1900. Absinthe was enjoyed by all social classes from the working class to the wealthy bourgeoisie. To maximize sales, distillers were keen to promote absinthe as a sociable drink that men and women could enjoy together. In Privat-Livemont’s 1896 poster for Absinthe Robette, absinthe is depicted as a health-giving elixir, brandished by a beautiful, barely clad woman who resembles a figure from mythology. Absinth in art: Henri Privat-Livemont, Absinthe Robette, 1896, Bibliothéque National de France, Pairs, France. It’s a sharp contrast from the mood of Manet’s lonely alcoholic. Absinth in art: Leonetto Cappiello, Absinthe Ducros fils, 1901, Bibliothéque National de France, Pairs, France.Ĭappiello’s advertisement for Absinthe Ducros fils features a flame-haired young woman in carefree abandon, holding aloft a large bottle of absinthe. In keeping with the times, they used classic elements of Art Nouveau style – flowing organic forms, areas of plain color and elegant typography – to create striking and effective advertisements. Poster artists like Henri Privat-Livemont and Leonetto Cappiello promoted a joyous and sociable vision of absinthe consumption. Unsurprisingly, advertisements for absinthe presented a rather different image. Manet’s picture has a brutal frankness and an air of solitary desperation. Manet based the portrait on an alcoholic vagrant he knew called Collardet, who hung around the Louvre area of Paris. Édouard Manet’s The Absinthe Drinker is a moody evocation of urban low-life. See some of the art made under the influence or inspired by absinth! Absinth in art: Édouard Manet, The Absinthe Drinker, 1867-1868, Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, Denmark. From the outset, the fiery spirit divided opinion: it was loved by bohemians like Baudelaire, Picasso and Joyce, but loathed by temperance campaigners who feared its corrupting influence and wanted to ban it from public sale. Derived mostly from the leaves of Artemisia absinthium (wormwood), absinthe became known as la fée verte (“the green fairy”), due to its frequent green coloration. Since becoming popular in late 19th century France, in the era of Art Nouveau, absinthe has always had a certain mystique.
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