ALPHONSE MUCHA (1860-1939) CHOCOLAT IDÉAL. 1897.
21x13 3/4 inches, 53 1/4x35 cm. F. Champenois, Paris.
Condition A-: minor creases in upper right corner; small repaired tear through top margin; light foxing and toning in image. Mounted on paper. Matted and framed.
Although this is an exquisitely-drawn image of a charming domestic scene, it is rendered in a style that is more straightforward and commercial than most of Mucha's posters, with only the steam from the hot chocolate showing any of his usual flourishing curls. That said, his mastery of design still stands out. The slightly awkward lettering and package displays on the bottom were almost certainly the result of the client insisting that their name and package appear more prominently. The Compagnie Française des Chocolats et des Thés is the name that was used by the German firm Chocolat Schaal for the French market. The German version of this poster bears that original German brand name. This company had extraordinarily good artistic sense - they also commissioned Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen and Abel Faivre to design other posters. This is the rare smaller format. Rennert / Weill 32 (var 1), Lendl p. 83, Brno 32 (var), Mucha / Bridges A28, Triumph des Jugendstils 34 (var), DFP-II 644 (var).