Artist: Alphonse Mucha Czech (1860-1939)
Title: Moët & Chandon 1899
Plate: M.Imp
Two original stone colour lithograph, backed on Linen.
Printed by Imprimerie F. Champenois, Paris,1899.
Certificate of Authenticity.
Reference: Rennert/Weill, 65b; Lendl/Prague, p. 101; Wine Spectator, 68; Mucha/Art Nouveau, 28a & b;
Size: Each 9 3/4 in x 24 3/4 in / 24.75 cm x 62.8 cm
Price: $40500.00 Sold as a Pair, Very Rare
Sold for $50,400 US Poster Auctions International, NY Nov 2012
“For the firm of Moët & Chandon ... Mucha executed a number of designs which were used on menus, postcards and other publicity. Two of his assignments were for posters; one of them was used to advertise their White Champagne...while the other served to publicize the Dry Imperial... White Star’s seductive being tempts us with choice grapes in a lovely outdoor setting, with flowers at her feet and vine tendrils and leaves all about her head... Dry Imperial is a grand design for a grand wine the serene repose of the classically beautiful face, the gentle flowing garment, the delicate hues, the rich ornamental pattern, and the precise handling of spaces and shapes it’s all Mucha at his best” (Rennert/Weill, p. 244).
Moët & Chandon, a renowned Champagne house, was founded in 1743 by Claude Moët in Épernay, France. The company initially operated as Moët et Cie and focused on shipping wine to Paris. Significant growth occurred under Jean-Rémy Moët, Claude's grandson, who expanded the company internationally and introduced Champagne to the world. In 1833, the company was renamed Moët & Chandon after Pierre-Gabriel Chandon de Briailles joined the business. Moët & Chandon is now a part of the LVMH (Louis-Vuitton-Moët-Hennessy) luxury group.