ALPHONSE MUCHA (1860-1939) LA TRAPPISTINE. 1897. 80x29 1/2 inches, 203x75 cm. F. Champenois, Paris. Condition B+: minor repaired tears at edges; creases, abrasions and time-staining in margins and image; wooden dowels for hanging affixed at top and bottom. Two-sheets. A classic Mucha maiden advertising a liqueur, allegedly based on an old Trappist recipe. "Her head encircled by a halo which in this case has circles within it to reinforce the circular motif. Their embellishment with the Maltese cross serves to remind us of the religious order involved in the preparation of the beverage. The same motif is repeated on the girl's high collar . . . [her] hair hangs down in a single thick strand . . . to lead our eyes to the tabouret in the foreground which holds the bottle; in addition the girl's outstretched hand also helps to make the bottle the focus of our attention" (Rennert / Weill p. 134). Rennert / Weill 30, DFP-II 631, Mucha A17, Meisterplakate 162.
