Zodiac was Mucha's first work under his contract with the printer Champenois and was originally designed as an in-house calendar for the company. In this composition, Mucha incorporated twelve zodiac signs in the halo-like disk behind the woman's head, one of Mucha's customary motifs. The majestic beauty of the woman is emphasised by her regal bearing and elaborate jewellery.
The striking design of the Zodiac calendar quickly attracted the attention of Léon Deschamps, chief editor of La Plume; he bought the rights to distribute it as the magazine's calendar for 1897. It became one of Mucha's most popular designs; at least nine variants of this lithograph are known, including this one which was printed without text to serve as a decorative panel.
Alfons Maria Mucha was a Czech painter, illustrator and graphic artist, living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, best known for his distinctly stylized and decorative theatrical posters of Sarah Bernhardt. He produced illustrations, advertisements, decorative panels and designs which became among the best-known images of the period.
Such a beautiful piece of art on a stamp !
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