Pehr Nordquist's (c. 1774–1805) satirical gouache painting Kaffebeslaget (1799) is the most well-known depiction relating to the Swedish coffee bans of the 18th and 19th centuries. The image was reproduced and interpreted several times through different techniques and materials at the beginning of the 1800s, and most versions were sold as commercial goods on the emerging market for fine art, prints and luxury items. In this thesis, Nordquist's original artwork is studied, and later reproductions and interpretations are mapped out and explored to reveal their significance as both images and material objects for contemporary Swedish spectators. Furthermore, the research has been conducted to identify circumstances essential to the diffusion and impact of Kaffebeslaget.

The study draws from a theoretical framework of Iconology/Iconography, Semiotics and Material Culture Studies, and an array of contextualizing source material. The analysis of Nordquist's composition shows its ambiguous iconographic program, in which recognized narratives and stereotypes from the consumerist-critical discourse and polarizing luxury debate of the 18th century are exploited for a satirical problematization of early-modern perceptions of morality and vice. The equivocal symbolism of Kaffebeslaget reflects an enigmatic existence at the turn of the century, permeated by instability, uncertainty and division – a Sweden in the face of modernization, marked by the dissolution of early-modern values. For the coffee-drinking aristocracy and bourgeoisie, the viewing experience of Kaffebeslaget at the public exhibition likely strengthened a sense of belonging to a leading modern lifestyle of progressive ideals, in contrast to backwards-looking critics and moralists. In addition, the study shows that the versions of Kaffebeslaget available in the market for prints and luxury goods are to be considered elevated tools for social positioning and identity, stemming from a combination of iconographic significance, meaningful medium, materiality and consumption.

The study concludes that the deep-rooted Swedish coffee culture and the persistent contradictions surrounding the coffee bans were fundamental conditions for the emergence of reproductions and interpretations of Kaffebeslaget and, thus, for the diffusion of the image and its long-lasting relevance (albeit as new versions). Additionally, the mercantile development, an accessible second-hand market and artists Elias and Johan Fredric Martin's influential working relationship with Nordquist are to be seen as essential to the impact of Kaffebeslaget.