ALPHONSE MUCHA (1860-1939) ÉTOILE DU SOIR. 1902. 31 1/4x12 inches, 79 1/2x30 1/2 cm. Condition B+: repaired tears and creases in margins and image; restored losses and pin-holes in corners The Stars were the last series of decorative panels that Mucha designed for Champenois. As with all of his allegorical series, Mucha symbolizes the heavenly bodies with beautiful women. However, unlike any of his previous work, these galactic allegories appear against a dark background, which adds a sense of mystery to their inherent and expected sex appeal. "Note the subtle shadings conveying the idea of indirect lighting, which permeate each scene with a strange mystic quality, haunting and mysterious, unique in Mucha's works" (Rennert/Weill p. 297). The only connection between these images and Mucha's previous panels is the elaborate decorative floral border. Otherwise, this is a totally new vision for Mucha, announcing the end of the light-hearted Parisian sensuality that dominated his work and presaging the more mystical imagery to come. Rennert/Weill 82, Lendl 61, Mucha P46, Triumph des Jugendstils 100, The Spirit of Art Nouveau 55b.
