Le Mois Littéraire et Pittoresque – Alphonse Mucha, 1898
€2.250
COMPLETE SERIES OF ART NOUVEAU LITHOGRAPHS BY ALPHONSE MUCHA
Complete series of twelve covers for the magazine “Le Mois Littéraire et Pittoresque,” colour lithographs designed by Alphonse Mucha in 1898 and published in 1899 by Maison de la Bonne Presse in Paris. Size (each): 25 × 17 cm.
This series of covers represents a fine example of French Art Nouveau graphic design. The compositions were created by Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939), the artist who more than any other defined the visual language of Art Nouveau. Following his breakthrough with posters for Sarah Bernhardt in 1894, Mucha developed an immediately recognisable style characterised by elegant female figures, flowing contour lines, decorative typography, and a subtle integration of natural motifs and ornament.
For Le Mois Littéraire et Pittoresque, Mucha designed a sequence of covers in which each month is represented by a female allegory set within a circular medallion. The figures appear against backgrounds corresponding to the seasons: bare branches and cool tones for the winter months, flowering vegetation and lighter colours for spring and summer. The frames with their stylised lines, floral motifs, and ornamental lettering form a perfect example of the synthesis between illustration and decorative design pursued by the Art Nouveau movement.
Le Mois Littéraire et Pittoresque was a richly illustrated magazine combining literature, art, and current affairs. The periodical appeared from January 1899 until July 1917 and was published by Maison de la Bonne Presse, a Parisian publishing house that issued numerous magazines and illustrated publications from the end of the nineteenth century onwards. The publisher still exists today under the name Bayard Presse (now part of Groupe Bayard).
Prijs: Euro 2.250,- (12 lithographs)
