ALPHONSE MUCHA (1860-1939) LESLIE CARTER. 1908. 83x31 1/2 inches, 211x80 cm. The Strobridge Litho. Co., Cincinnati. Condition B+: creases and time staining in margins and image; repaired tears in margins. Two sheets. Framed. Leslie Carter was an extravagant woman and aspiring actress whose incredible success was mainly due to her charms and the liberal way she wielded them. Both Mucha and the author of this play (which was a huge flop, despite the wonderful poster) were both taken by her wiles and never got paid for their work. For this poster, one of the few that Mucha designed while living in America from 1904-1912, the artist harks back to his earlier designs for Sarah Bernhardt: the tall, narrow format of the poster, the drape of the gown, the halo behind the actress' head and the crown of flowers are all reminiscent of his work in the late 1890s. Mucha had clearly lost nothing of his ability to design a great theater poster. Curiously the name of the production, which was Kassa, does not appear on the image. The poster, printed by Strobridge, is inscribed "from a design by Mucha." Most likely, had the artist been on press, he would have corrected this detail. Rennert / Weill 94, Mucha A55, Spirit of Art Nouveau 33, Lendl 12.
