Alphonse Mucha "La Plume et La Primevere" Lithograph

Mucha's Primrose poster is a true design masterpiece, showcasing a rich interplay of botanical and historical elements. The top border features opium poppies, while the second is lined with Cobea flowers, also known as the cup-and-saucer vine. The aureole surrounding the central figure is adorned with hollyhock blossoms. The female figure wears her hair in a low coiffure, and delicately holds a candelabra primrose to her nose, as if savoring its fragrance. In Mucha's Plume poster, an elegant woman with a high coiffure holds a goose quill and laurel branches. The aureole surrounding the central figure is based on the famous rose window of the Cathedral of Chartres. The shape of the quill and how she holds it is a reference to the holding of palm branches by saints in Christian icons of Saints. Instead of the meaning of martyrdom, Tiffany’s chosen virtues are more secular, the quill representing knowledge and the laurels a Greek symbol of poetry. The top border of the poster is similarly adorned with opium poppies, while the second border features anemones.

Dimensions: 29" height, 11.25" width (unframed) 38" height, 20" width (framed)
Printer: Imp. F. Champenois, Paris (not shown)
Materials: Lithograph paper, Giltwood gesso frame
Signed: Mucha 99
Literature: Mucha/Art Nouveau, p. 198 Rennert/Weill, 64; Lendl/Prague, 219; Mucha/Art Nouveau, 51; PAI-XCII, 280

Her elaborate headdress draws inspiration from Italian jewelry, specifically from the Lombard period (568–774) and the Early Renaissance (1400–1490). A striking ruby medallion on the side of her head is modeled after the Lombardic disk brooch, traditionally worn in pairs to fasten cloaks over tunics. Additionally, the line of rubies parting her hair recalls a fashion popularized by the noble families of Renaissance Italy. This hairstyle can be seen in two iconic portraits: Sandro Botticelli’s Portrait of Simonetta Vespucci as Nymph and Piero della Francesca’s Diptych of Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza. At the crown of her head, a ruby agrafe (ornamental clasp) adds the final elegant flourish. The figure's headdress includes a headband and two Cloisonné enamel medallions, each designed with a fan of poppy leaves and bordered by Bohemian eagles. Mucha's fondness for eagles originated in his childhood when he would decorate the bare walls of his home with eagles featured in the medieval crests of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. The medallions terminate in ruby and topaz pendants.