ALPHONSE MUCHA (1860-1939) NESTLÉ'S FOOD FOR INFANTS. 1897.
27 1/2x13 inches, 70x33 cm. F. Champenois, Paris.
Condition B: repaired tears, restored losses and overpainting in margins, text and image. Matted and framed. Unexamined out of frame.
This is one of two posters Mucha designed for Nestlé's in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's 60th anniversary on the throne. The other was a large billboard, more than nine by six feet large. This domestic image, of a mother (a "secular Goddess," see Spirit of Art Nouveau p. 59) preparing food for her child is a commercial commission executed in Mucha's typical style, with sophisticated hair and flowing gowns, albeit slightly demure compared to some of his other imagery. Mucha's flair for symbolism is also present as he includes two idealized birds feeding their young in the upper corners of the design, mimicking the action below. The seminal Mucha touch, the mosaic halo behind the woman's head, is the only one of his standard design elements which doesn't fit into the tender family scene he has depicted. rare. We have found only seven other copies at auction since 1987. Lendl p. 79, Brno 37, Rennert / Weill 26, Mucha Grand Palais A. 27, Darmstadt P27, Mucha / Henderson 81, Mucha / Bridges A34, DFP-II 646.