204 / 242
ALPHONSE MUCHA (1860-1939)
197
●
LESLIE CARTER. 1908.
83x31 inches, 210
7
/
8
x78
3
/
4
cm. The Strobridge
Litho. Co., Cincinnati.
Condition B: water staining and rippling in bottom
margin; extensive staining in margins; repaired tears
and creases in margins and image; tape on verso at
top and bottom, showing through. Two-sheets.
Framed. Unexamined out of frame.
Leslie Carter was an extravagant woman and
aspiring actress whose incredible success was
largely attributed to her charms and the shrewd
way in which she applied them to her pursuits.
Both Mucha and the author of this play (a
commercial disappointment, despite the
wonderful poster) were both so taken with her
that they completed their work without
compensation. For this poster, one of the few
that Mucha designed while living in America
from 1904-1912, the artist is clearly harkening
back to poster designs for Sarah Bernhardt
from early on in his career, as the tall, thin
format of the poster, the drape of the gown,
the halo behind the actress’ head and the
crown of flowers are all reminiscent of his
work in the late 1890s. Mucha had clearly lost
nothing of his ability to design a great theater
poster (although one cannot help questioning
the choice of blue-green for the actress’ face
and shoulders). Curiously, the name of the pro-
duction,
Kassa
, appears nowhere on the image.
The poster, printed by Strobridge, is signed
“from a design by Mucha;” most likely had the
artist been on the press, he would have corrected
this detail. Rennert / Weill 94, Lendl p. 266,
Brno 56, 150th Mucha 222, Mucha Grand Palais
327, Darmstadt 340, Arco p. 81, Mucha /
Henderson 98, Mucha / Posters and Photographs
50 (var), Mucha / Bridges A55, Jiri Mucha p.
233, Spirit of Art Nouveau 33.
[5,000/7,500]