Poster La Dame aux Camélias by Mucha

La Dame aux Camélias [English: The Lady of the Camellias] is a lithograph by Art Nouveau artist Alphonse Mucha [Alfons Maria Mucha], published by F. Champenois, Paris in 1896. Mucha created it as an advertising poster for the Parisian theatrical performance by the same name, starring Sarah Bernhardt, one of the greatest actresses the world has known. Bernhardt was performing at the Theatre of the Renaissance in Paris, France. She considered this role to be one of the most important of her career. The image shows the heroine against a backdrop of glowing stars. She is wearing her favorite flower in her hair (a white camellia) and is leaning against a ballustrade. On the bottom left we see a mysterious hand, symbolically holding a branch with flowering camellias. This beautiful poster advertising Bernardt's performance was selected as one of the famous posters of the Maîtres de l'Affiche (Masters of the Poster), the famous portfolio of Art Nouveau images published during the Belle Époque in Paris from 1895 through 1900." Alphonse Mucha became one of the most sought out artists of the Art Nouveau period. He had a profound influence on Art Nouveau era, and his work has influenced generations of artists. He directly inspired the rock posters of the sixties, and his influence can be seen in design today. "La Dame aux Camélias" is one of Alfons Mucha's most sought-after posters. Content copyright © 2011 http://www.zazzle.com/VintageCabaret ►Please Note: This image has been restored by us. It has been retouched where faded, and colors have been enhanced to the way we imagine it originally looked.