Alphonse Mucha "Salons des Cent XXème Exposition" Lithograph
$37,500
This French Art Nouveau lithograph, "XXème Exposition du Salon des Cent, Affiche," by Alphonse Mucha is an incredible poster that features a half-nude female form in ultra-casual repose, reclining on her own knee, her expression one of relaxed bliss. Her hair, a typical, stylized feature that is a hallmark of Mucha's incredible compositions, travels throughout the composition, nearly dying gravity with its luscious curls and tangled tresses that mirror the form of an abstracted umbel flower. Her flowing white robes call to mind the great goddesses of Ancient Greece.
- Product Details
- Curator's Notes
Item #: ML-17815
Artist: Alphonse Mucha
Circa: 1896
Dimensions: 25.25" height, 17.25" width (unframed); 33.5" height, 25.5" width (framed)
Materials: Handmade paper, Japanese silk pongee matte, Giltwood and gesso frame
Literature: Lithograph pictured in Alphonse Mucha: The Complete Posters and Panels, by Jack Rennert and Alain Weill, G.K. Hall & Co., Publishers, Boston, pp. 72-75, cat. 12
Salon des Cent was the exhibition hall associated with La Plume magazine. This poster was Alphonse Mucha's introductory gift to La Plume in appreciation for being invited to join the magazine's roster of artists. La Plume eventually sold all of Mucha's posters through their art department and honored him with a one-man show the following year. The languorous woman with long, entwined, curling tresses represents feminine inspiration and ultimately became a symbol for the Art Nouveau movement. The quill and paintbrush she holds in her hand are a direct reference to La Plume—both the exhibition hall and the magazine.