Alphonse Mucha, "The Artist's Wife"

  We haven't looked at a traditional portrait for sometime and this week I found a really lovely one.  The artist is Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) and the title is The Artist's Wife.   We know little of her.  One source I read said she was considerably younger than he.  They married in 1906 when he was 44 and very successful.  This work is dated 1903, so three years before their marriage.  
    Mucha was a Czechoslovakian painter, illustrator and graphic designer.  He lived for a time in Paris, traveled and taught in the United States, before returning to his beloved, Prague, where he is buried.
    The last time we looked at a Mucha work it was back in Spring, 2019.  It was one of his Art Nouveau posters of the Four Seasons, this one being, Winter.   I think we can see some of that Art Nouveau influence in this work.   A close examination of the upper right reveals light sketches of the female figure done in traditional Nouveau style.  
   What I do find interesting about this painting is that it is a watercolor on linen.  I have never painted on anything other than prepared canvas, paper or board, so the technical process of watercolor adhering to linen is unclear to me.  I can only assume the paint "stains" into the fabric when it is applied. However Mucha did it, he did it well.   He has soft, lovely layers of color, complemented by sharp lines defining each important shape and object.   Her beautiful face is amazing, including only essential elements necessary to round her out and make her recognizable.  The wreath surrounding her head is so typical of this period and style.   It looks like he may have covered these lines with wax first, painted around it, then removed the wax and added necessary detail.
   Again, as in most weeks, we see a complementary color harmony of blue/orange.  The composition is divided in half with the lower half fading right into the floor and background, thus drawing all our attention to her figure and lovely face.  
   I was unable to discover anymore information about this painting, other than it is in a private collection.  An internet search did show that prints of this, as a poster, are available for sale, so the work is definitely in the public realm.   
   Make Art a part of your life, it's a beautiful thing to do.


 

Comments

  1. Char HarguthJanuary 27, 2021 at 7:52 AM

    This is such a beautiful soft painting. I am drawn to the interesting background and the blurred lower part of the painting. The flowers she holds matches her crown. She has a relaxed, confident demeanor. The chair suggests elegance, but I believe she is a kind, approachable women. I can't imagine doing watercolor on linen either, but he surely created a lovely painting. The color harmony suits it well.

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