?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 12,000 - $ 18,000
ALPHONSE MUCHA ZODIAC. 1896. 281/2x211/2 inches. Condition A. Framed. This is a previously unkown variant, hand signed and mounted on board. With the Zodiac Mucha reaches the full maturity of his style, with every one of his signature design elements in their most fluid and elaborate incarnations. The image was originally published as a calendar by Champenois, but was quickly bought by La Plume who began issuing it as a calendar with their own name at the top. The image was a huge success and was ultimately used for a variety of different advertising purposes. In all seven different variations have been identified, including this one which was published by La Plume as a decorative panel. With this image Champenois realized that he could begin licensing out Mucha's images to different companies on which they could imprint their own names, which became a very profitable side business for the printer who already owned all the rights to Mucha's works. Renert / Weill 19 var. 4, DFP-II 629 (var), Gold 97 (var).
