163 - Alfons Mucha (Czech, 1860–1939)

Alfons Mucha (Czech, 1860–1939) Gismonda (Sarah Bernhardt). Poster. 1894. Lithograph. [750 x 2180 mm]. Rennert-Weill 3. Printed in color and with gilded bronze ink. A very fine print on thin vellum in two joined pieces (slightly separated at the seam), with very fresh colors; mounted on board. A few light foxing spots. A long diagonal tear at the top, extending to the “N” in “Gismonda.” The upper left corner has been restored. A few short tears and small nicks along the edges. All margins intact. "This poster, which ushered in a new era of 'Art Nouveau' graphic design, was Mucha’s first and, quite rightly, his most famous. It was urgently commissioned from the Lemercier printing house on Christmas Day 1894 by the Théâtre de la Renaissance for Sarah Bernhardt’s revival of *Gismonda*; it had to be ready by New Year’s Day 1895. [...] Upon its appearance on Parisian billboards, the work immediately caused a sensation thanks to its delicate pastel hues and its “Byzantine” decorative effect. [...] The project was a success for both artists. Sarah Bernhardt, though accustomed to extravagant praise, achieved an enormous triumph. " (J. Rennert and A. Weill, Alphonse Mucha: All the Posters and Billboards, Paris, Hjert & Hjert, 1984, no. 3, p. 48).