88 / 242
ALPHONSE MUCHA (1860-1939)
84
●
JOB. 1898.
60
1
/
4
x38
1
/
4
inches, 153x97
1
/
4
cm. F. Champenois, Paris.
Condition A. Framed. Unexamined out of frame.
Mucha’s second poster for
Job
, done two years after the first in a large format, is one of his best
advertising pieces. Here Mucha provides the viewer with three levels of reading that constantly
reinforce the brand. The girl sitting in a circle, her brown hair contrasting with her skin and pink
dress, is eye-catching in and of herself, as is the big, bold lettering across the top bearing the company’s
name. But as viewers look more closely at the image, they discover that Mucha has also included the
company name in the wallpaper behind the figure, that she is holding a package of the product, and
finally, that her brooch also bears the Job logo. The image and design create a masterpiece of
commercial art. Rennert / Weill 51, DFP-II 634, Modern Poster 9, Wine Spectator 74, Wember 610,
Lendl p. 121, Weill 59, Maitres 1900 p. 18, Meisterplakate 164, Schardt p. 137, Triumph des
Jugendstils 24, Mucha Grand Palais 76, Darmstadt 77, Mucha / Henderson 82, Mucha / Bridges A36,
Jiri Mucha p. 180, Schardt p. 137.
[6,000/9,000]