ALPHONSE MUCHA (1860-1939) TETES BYZANTINE. Two decorative panels. 1897. 211/4x15 inches. Condition varies, generally A. Paper. These images were another popular and commercial success in the number of Art Nouveau panels that were brought to the market by Alphonse Mucha and his printer Champenois. These were in fact so popular, that (as would seem appropriate by their shape) they were even reproduced on plates! On paper many different variations exist, this being one of the rarest. Meant to hang facing each other, the blonde and brunette have cascading hair that bursts through the halos behind them, breaking through Mucha's trademark, mystical circle. The precise yet delicate outlining of each of their faces is a tour-de-force of design, made even stronger by placing the profiles against a background of geometric, almost floral designs. Although these were most often printed in a round format, for this variation Mucha, "in order to create the standard shape of decorative panels . . . added an ornate abstract pattern of curves to fill in the corners" (Rennert/Weill p. 166). Rennert/Weill 40.
