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Lot Essay
This iconic work of the Art Nouveau period combines Czech painter and decorative artist Alphonse Mucha's well-loved figures of female beauty with the rich decoration and extravagant lettering that define the style and the era.
The product itself, a brand of cigarette papers, 'JOB' is seen only minimally and the brand name is submerged into the image. Instead Mucha gives us a simple image of pleasure in the figure of the woman. Only subtle hints connect this pleasure with a product to be purchased. This may be one of the first advertising images to appeal to the subconscious mind, in a way that is commonplace today (Victoria & Albert Museum).
The product itself, a brand of cigarette papers, 'JOB' is seen only minimally and the brand name is submerged into the image. Instead Mucha gives us a simple image of pleasure in the figure of the woman. Only subtle hints connect this pleasure with a product to be purchased. This may be one of the first advertising images to appeal to the subconscious mind, in a way that is commonplace today (Victoria & Albert Museum).