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.
|
Gallery |
News |
History |
About Us |
Contact |
Links 
Search
»
