32 - ALPHONSE MUCHA (CZECH / BOHEMIAN 1860 - 1939) - The Nation's Awakening to Freedom

ALPHONSE MUCHA (CZECH / BOHEMIAN 1860 - 1939) - The Nation's Awakening to Freedom *** DESCRIPTION OF THE LOT: *** Date: circa 1930 Technique: unique hand-colored print / artist's drawing on paper Dimensions: 870 × 630 mm Signature: bottom right of the plate also in pencil by the author "Mucha" Framed: Framed in a high-quality, period-styled wooden frame with a mount Provenance: significant historical legacy and archive of Prague publisher and patron Jindřich Plichta Condition: exceptionally well-preserved collection condition Lot information: inscription: In the lower decorative cartouche, the author's title "THE AWAKENING OF THE NATION TO FREEDOM" Auction comment: A unique piece of museum value - the only known specimen of its kind in the world. The presented work represents an absolutely exceptional collector's opportunity and a fundamental document of the late patriotic and allegorical work of the world-famous Art Nouveau master Alphonse Mucha. This is a completely unique, solitary print created in the only specimen in the world, which the artist personally hand-colored and finished in detail with fine watercolor tones. This work does not exist in any other similar author's version or repetitions - it is an absolute original created on a direct order for the prominent Prague publisher, printer and patron Jindřich Plichta. The allegorical composition The Awakening of the Nation to Freedom combines Mucha's iconic artistic style with deep national pathos. The version created for the publisher Plichta responds to the era of the independent Czechoslovak Republic – the background is decorated with symbols of freedom (including a red Phrygian cap) and the foreground is dominated by allegorical figures with a boy tearing off his shackles, representing a liberated nation. The combination of absolute uniqueness (1/1), a generous format, direct authorial intervention with the brush of Alphonse Mucha and demonstrable provenance from the archive of the publisher Jindřich Plichta makes this sheet a work of off-season auction significance, which represents a top addition for the most demanding private and collection institutions. * Edition: Unique (1/1) – the only piece in the world. __________________________________________________________________________ Bidders are obliged to inform themselves about the condition of the lots before the auction, subsequent complaints will not be taken into account. This is an automatically generated English translation from the original Czech text using deepl.com and is intended for reference only – it does not constitute a legally binding statement of the lot's properties. Please note that we can only guarantee the accuracy of the description and condition as stated in the original Czech version.