ALPHONSE MUCHA (1860-1939) JOB. 1898. 61x38 3/4 inches, 155x98 1/2 cm. F. Champenois, Paris. Condition A- / B+: minor repaired tears at edges; creases in margins and image; left and right margins slightly trimmed. Mucha's second poster for Job, done two years later in a large format, is one of his best advertising pieces. Other posters, like Cycles Perfecta are also powerful images, but here Mucha provides the viewer with three levels of reading that constantly reinforce the brand. The girl sitting in a circle with brown hair that contrasts with her skin and pink dress is eye-catching in and of itself, as is the big, bold lettering across the top bearing the company's name. But as viewers look more closely at the image, they discover that Mucha has also included the company name in the wallpaper behind the figure, that she is holding a package of the product, and finally, that her brooch also bears the Job logo. The image and design create a masterpiece of commercial art. Rennert / Weill 51, DFP II 634, Modern Poster 9, Wine Spectator 74, Wember 610, Lendl 50, Weill 59, Maitres 1900 p. 18, Meisterplakate 164, Triumph des Jugendstils p. 59.
