The name "cappuccino" has its basis in the Latin word caputium – a hood. Later adopted into German as Kapuziner – Capuchin, which was a monk, a member of the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor Capuchin – the color of espresso mixed with frothed milk was similar to the color of the Capuchin habit, which was characterized by a significantly long and pointed hood. Cappuccino literally means "little capuchin" in Italian, diminutive of cappuccio – a hood.

Kapuziner, coffee with cream and usually sugar, first appears in Viennese coffeehouses in the 18th century. In Italy, where it also got its current name, the drink was first mentioned in the 19th century, but it only gained popularity at the beginning of the 20th century together with the invention of the first espresso machines. Cappuccino is defined as a coffee drink that usually consists of espresso, milk, and milk foam on top.

To celebrate this day, we have chosen one of the many cafe motifs from the gallery collections, the author of which is the Czech graphic artist, illustrator and art teacher Vladimír Silovský (July 11, 1891, Libáň - April 26, 1974, Prague).

He studied at the School of Applied Arts in Zagreb, Croatia (1911–1913) with Professor Menci Klement Crnčić, an important Croatian painter, one of the founders of modern Croatian painting, and then, in 1913–1917, with Professor Max Švabinský at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, where he himself later (1945–1962) also worked as a professor. Silovský is one of the main representatives of social graphics of the 20s. Among his frequent subjects were work and social scenes from Ostrava, later he was also interested in Prague architecture and graphic portraits. He is also the author of a series of postage stamps. In his work, he primarily used the technique of etching and drypoint, initially also wood engraving, and then later lithography.

Jana Jarošová, November 8, 2024