When did the tradition of Château Mouton Rothschild commissioning artists for its label design begin, and which famous artists have participated?

Hey, speaking of Château Mouton Rothschild's art labels, this is a topic that both wine enthusiasts and art lovers rave about! It's not just a bottle of wine; it's more like a work of art.

Simply put, this tradition can be divided into two phases: a "trial run" and a formal beginning.

The Origin of the Tradition

First Attempt (1924): Strictly speaking, the very first instance was in 1924. To commemorate the first time the entire winemaking and bottling process was completed within the château (a pioneering move at the time, ensuring wine quality), Baron Philippe de Rothschild, the owner at the time, invited Cubist artist Jean Carlu to design a label. However, this was just a one-off idea back then and was not continued.
Official Beginning (1945): The tradition we know today, where an artist is invited to create a label every year, officially began in 1945. That year, shortly after the end of World War II, to celebrate the Liberation of France and victory, Baron Philippe decided to commemorate this historic vintage with a special label. He commissioned young artist Philippe Jullian to create the famous "V" for Victory label. This idea was a great success, and from then on, Château Mouton Rothschild has continued this tradition without interruption.

So, you can remember: 1945 marks the beginning of the Mouton art label's inaugural year.

The 'Art Dream Team' Involved

This list is practically a microcosm of art history from the latter half of the 20th century to the present, featuring a constellation of big names. Just to name a few, you've certainly heard of them:

Salvador Dalí - 1958
Joan Miró - 1969
Marc Chagall - 1970
Wassily Kandinsky - 1971 (an older work of his was used)
Pablo Picasso - 1973 (This year, Mouton was elevated from a Second Growth to a First Growth, a truly significant event!)
Andy Warhol - 1975
Francis Bacon - 1990
Jeff Koons - 2010
Gerhard Richter - 2015

Notable Chinese Artists

Château Mouton Rothschild has also invited Chinese artists to create labels on multiple occasions, demonstrating its respect and recognition of Chinese culture:

Zao Wou-Ki - 2002
Xu Lei - 2008 (The label design has a very classical Chinese charm)
Xu Bing - 2018 (He used his unique "Square Word Calligraphy" to write "Mouton")

Therefore, each year's Mouton is not just a top-tier vintage; it's also an artistic snapshot of an era. Collecting a bottle of Mouton is, in a sense, collecting a piece of art history.