Plate 31 from 'Figures Décoratives'
Original lithograph on paper • Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939)
Style & Movement
Art Nouveau
Medium & Technique
Crayon-manner lithography printed in blue-gray ink on wove paper
Creation Period
1905
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 45 x 33 cm (sheet size); portrait orientation
Subject Description
A decorative sheet featuring two rectangular compositions of idealized female figures amidst botanical foliage. The top panel shows a seated woman in profile wearing a headwrap, surrounded by broad-leaved plants. The bottom panel features a woman in three-quarter view amidst slender, flowering branches. The work serves as a stylistic model for designers and artists.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good/Very Good; the sheet shows standard age-toning and minor handling wear consistent with its age.
Estimated Market Value
$400 - $700
Auction Estimate
$300 - $500
Provenance History
Published by Librairie Centrale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1905. Likely from a disassembled portfolio of the 'Figures Décoratives' series.
Art Historical Significance
This plate is part of Mucha's seminal design manual 'Figures Décoratives', which influenced a generation of decorative artists. It represents the height of the Art Nouveau movement and Mucha's shift from commercial posters to academicized decorative theory.
Notable Features
Includes the printed signature 'A. M. Mucha' and the publisher's imprint 'Librairie Centrale des Beaux-Arts, Paris' at the bottom. Plate number '31' is centered.
Condition Issues
Slight yellowing or foxing at the extreme edges of the paper, minor soft creases in the margins, and evidence of previous binding on the left edge.
Conservation Recommendations
Acid-free matting and mounting; use of UV-protective glass to prevent fading of the sensitive blue ink; humidity-controlled environment.