lithographs in bound book portfolio 16 h × 12 w × 1 d in (41 × 30 × 3 cm)
* includes buyer's premium
Consisting of a series of seven drawings, Le Pater is considered to be Mucha’s printed masterpiece, an intense visual study of the Lord’s Prayer. The seven verses of the prayer are represented here through Byzantine symbolism, and are executed and decorated in the very best Art Nouveau style. “In the context of Mucha's oeuvre, this artistic and literary work combines in a fortuitously unique way his philosophy, imagination, talent, and skill reflects his past achievements in decorative design, and is also a precursor of his future artistic developments... The ornamental pages of Le Pater allowed Mucha to represent the symbolism of the Lord's Prayer in the extravagantly decorative style that made him famous... Without exception, the French critics perceived Le Pater as a work of art in its own right, noteworthy for its imagery and vision... In the increasingly materialistic world, it is important for man's spiritual growth to contemplate works that are inspired by well-known text, and have the ability to enrich and invest it with additional meaning. Le Pater is one of such works; it challenges the imagination and the mind, and, as Mucha would have it, leads man towards the Light" (Le Pater, p. 10-20). This complete collection consists of the seven illuminated verses, the text and illustration pages, as well as the title and Amen page. This is edition No. 198 of 510 copies.
literature: Mucha/Art Nouveau, 72; Le Pater; PAI-XCI, 355
This work will ship from Lambertville, New Jersey.