Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) AND OTHERS, FOR F. CHAMPENOIS, PARIS

Lot description

ALPHONSE MUCHA (1860-1939) AND OTHERS, FOR F. CHAMPENOIS, PARIS L'ESTAMPE MODERNE directeurs: Ch. Masson et H. Piazza. Publication mensuelle contentant quatres estampes originales inédites en couleurs et en noir des principaux artistes modernes français et étrangers. Paris: l'Imprimerie Champenois, 1897-9. 24 monthly issues bound in 2 volumes, folio (40 x 31.6cm), original diagonal-ribbed green cloth over bevelled boards, front boards lettered and decorated in gilt and red, top edges gilt, 94 plates only (of 100: lacking Henri Boutet, ‘Dans les coulisses' and R.-X. Pirinet, ‘Manon’ in volume 1, and E. Burne Jones, ‘Beauty’, F. Luigini, ‘La Servante’, A. Giraldon, ‘Lutèce’, and ‘P.-C. Helleu, ’Parisienne' in volume 2), chromolithographs and other media, tipped in or printed direct, each plate with captioned tissue-guard, each volume with half-title, vignette title-page and 3 pp. index to rear, volume 1 with preface (pp. 5-9), volume 1 plate ‘La Promise’ by F. Gottlob loose mount with corner remaining attached to mount, volume 2 plates ‘Le Départ’ by R. Collin loose and ‘La Romance’ by Roedel with tear to tissue-guard Ferdinand Champenois thence by descent Ferdinand Champenois founded a printing company in Paris in 1859 and, between 1880 and 1920, it was one of the main lithographic printing firms. Alphonse Mucha worked for him when he arrived from Austria. Champenois produced advertising posts for clients such as Moët & Chandon champagne, Huntley & Palmer biscuits and Job cigarettes. However, he is perhaps best known for the works by Mucha featuring the actress Sarah Bernhardt.