Glamorous vintage art nouveau picture mirror, wall art, lady collectibles.
Alphonse Mucha - Tetes Byzantines, Brunette
Stylish vintage art nouveau mirror featuring an elegant lady wearing vibrant head dress with a selection of jewellery with her hair flowing down, circle border with a vivid rouge colour and a intricate fleur de lis design, a stunning piece of wall art.
Darker wooden frame.
Nice vintage condition with minimal signs of authentic patina.
Height: 64cm
Length: 49cm
Width: 3cm
Byzantine Heads (1897)
Mucha regarded Byzantine civilization as the spiritual home of Slavic culture. In his style he incorporated a variety of decorative motifs inspired by Byzantine art, such as mosaic works, icons, sumptuous costumes and accessories.
This decorative panel was so popular that it was reproduced in a number of different formats, including panels with variations in the frame decoration and decorative tin plates.
The women are seen in profile against an ornate background of vegetal arabesques. They wear highly ornate jewellery in their hair, which is evocative of Byzantine design as suggested in the title. In the panel, strands of hair fall beyond the circular frames, bridging the gap between the women and the viewer and lending a sense of depth to the otherwise flattened compositions.
The exquisite pattern surrounding the circular frames simulates lacework, another decorative element familiar in Moravian craftwork.