Full size sold for $ 16,100 US
Poster Auctions International, NY Nov 2004
"This Mucha from the Maitre de L'Affiche series, perhaps more than any
other demonstrates the outstanding printing skills of the time. The smaller format,
on high quality paper, lent it self to the use of cutting edge technology not
seen in the full size posters of the day. The golds used in the printing of the
Salon des Cent are unequal to anything printed before or since. This is truly
a lithographer's lasting masterpiece from the printer Imprimerie Chaix"
(Greg) "This poster is one of the artist's first works to follow his
standard archetype. It advertises the twentieth exhibition of the group of artists
who exhibited at the premises of the art journal 'La Plume.' The members were
famous Parisian artists: Toulouse-Lautrec, Bonnard, Steinlen, Ensor, Grasset,
Rassenfosse, and the American Louis Rhead. Mucha's ambition was to become a member
of the group, and he succeeded with this poster, which attracted the attention
of the gallery owner Leon Deschamps. He visited Mucha in his studio while he was
designing the poster. Fascinated by what he saw, he persuaded Mucha to print it
in this unfinished version, according to the artist. Mucha agreed, and the publisher's
feeling, that this lightly outlined, impressive poster would make Mucha famous,
proved to be correct (Mucha/Art Nouveau p.156) "The
Salon of the Hundred, was a small gallery on the premises of the magazine 'La
Plume' where promising designers displayed their work. The publication's marketing
arm, Editions d'Art, also issued these posters and decorative panels in various
editions, often on quality paper as art for the home. The bottom half of these
posters, there were 43 in all, is normally filled with text" (Gold
p.132) Go to see other Salon des Cent posters by De
Feure, Grasset, Lautrec,
Cazals, and Gottlob.
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