" Janvier 1894 - January 1894 "

This early Mucha plate was issued in a 12 part Calendar for Ch. Lorilleux & Cie. Muchas work invokes traditional renaissance motifs and the traditional allegorical figures of his early career. A harbinger - the calendars are a transitional production and we find in these calendars the initial emergence of "le Style Mucha". An exceptionally rare example Muchas earliest commercial lithographic work, the calendar was produced annually by the Lorilleux firm (paint manufacturers) from the years 1892-1894, with the letterpress and specific information for the days of that years month being produced annually for the the upcoming year. Mucha earned 2500 fr for the production and the calendars were well received by Lorilleux's customers; Artists, Art Academies, Theaters, Periodical Publishers, etc. [See: Bridges, C1; Jiri Mucha, 54]. [An original calendar plate, more than 115 years old.]