Maison Martell has a proud history of collaborating with audacious artists who bring a contemporary flair to even its most iconic bottles. And this year is no different.
Christoph Niemann is a famed artist, author and illustrator known for his prolific creativity and bringing everyday objects to life with humour and ingenuity.
This festive season he applies his immense talents to some of Maison Martell’s most iconic cognacs, in a series of eye-catching, limited edition designs.
Christoph Niemann’s collaborations for Martell Noblige, Martell VSOP, and Martell Cordon Bleu convey Maison Martell’s unique combination of heritage and modernity, ensuring the gift of Martell will never grow old.
Artist, author, illustrator. Christoph Niemann is a free spirit of the art world, known for his prolific creativity and ability to embrace different domains and mediums. His work is regularly featured in titles the likes of which include New Yorker magazine, National Geographic, and The New York Times Magazine.
Martell first shipped cognacs to China in 1858, the start of an enduring connection. It is these historic East-West ties that Christophe Niemann pays tribute to with his striking designs for Martell Noblige.
The German artist sees his art as creating a dialogue between himself and the audience. “To start that dialogue, the vocabulary I use needs to be familiar to the audience; we need to live in the same world.”
His design reinvents the Chinese tangram puzzle to forge a connection between two bold symbols: the rabbit of Chinese New Year 2023, and the swift, Maison Martell’s own spirit of freedom and daring.
In his limited edition design for Martell VSOP, Christophe Niemann plays on the House’s historic connection to China. The colour palette of his designs are restricted to four vivid choices for maximum visual impact: red and gold evoking the festive season, and Maison Martell’s signature electric and dark blues.
The bold colours are juxtaposed against subtle design elements. Look carefully to see the rabbit, symbolic of Chinese New Year 2023, in a graphic style inspired by the traditional Chinese tangram puzzle.
When Christoph Niemann visited Maison Martell, he was amazed by the complex savoir-faire involved in making cognac.
In particular, he was fascinated by the fact that every glass of Martell Cordon Bleu contains more than 100 different eaux-de-vie, each of which is crucial to recreating its legendary taste.
On the front of the Martell Cordon Bleu bottle, his vibrant, graphic design represents dozens of drops – symbolising the eaux-de-vie – gradually transforming into the shape of a glass.
Our limited editions of Martell Noblige, Martell Cordon Bleu and Martell VSOP look different on the outside, and are different on the inside too. Every cognac has its distinct personality, reflecting its maturity, production, and heritage of the House.
If you’re looking for a special bottle to offer this someone for CNY, make use of Martell’s handy gift finder. All it takes is a few questions.
Christophe Niemann has conceived of an eye-catching design for his Martell Cordon Bleu GTR Limited Edition 2023.
The talented visual storyteller’s graphic design represents dozens of drops – symbolising the eaux-de-vie – gradually transforming into the shape of a glass. This is complemented, on the sides and back, by Martell swift motifs, evoking the spirit of freedom associated with travel.
He says: “My aim was to create a visual universe that conveyed the emotions of discovering the world of cognac with Martell – an experience that can be shared wherever you are.”
PLEASE DO NOT SHARE WITH ANYONE UNDER 18. ENJOY MARTELL RESPONSIBLY.