“One of Mucha’s best sets, and one of the rarest, with only three or four known to have survived among collectors. The lady of the Amethyst appears to have been originally bare from the waist up, because there is a letter in Mucha’s correspondence from Champenois about the subject—the printer is asking him to cover up the lady’s breast, as otherwise there might be objections on moral grounds” (Rennert/Weill, p. 264). With hands playing seductively with her hair, this feminine gem affixes us with a cool gaze that tempts us to come closer—if we dare. The irises—a favorite flower of Mucha, and indeed the entire Art Nouveau period—are particularly sumptuous here, with their curving petals echoing the voluptuous forms of the figure’s body and gown. This is the larger format.
Imp. F. Champenois, Paris (not shown)
literature: Rennert/Weill, 73c, Var. 1; Lendl/Paris, 76 (var); Wine Spectator, 75 (var); PAI-XLIX, 399
This work will ship from Lambertville, New Jersey.