Lot 108: Poster: JANE ATCHÉ (1872-1937) [HOLLY AND MISTELTOE.] Two pan

JANE ATCHÉ (1872-1937) [HOLLY AND MISTELTOE.] Two panels. 1899.
Each approximately 29x18 1/2 inches.
Condition varies, generally B+: each with expertly restored margins. Framed.
Although these two decorative panels are previously undocumented, it is not a surprise to learn of their existence. Based on the run-away commercial success that Mucha had with his decorative panels, many of his followers, and other artists, chose to try their hand at the medium. Atché herself is known to have designed at least one other pair, Rêverie et Meditation. That these two images have never surfaced before is an indication that they were a commercial failure, which is difficult to understand, as they are so artistically compelling. While the influence of Mucha is clear in the designs to a point, Atché has her own personality that comes through in the designs. The two women are treated with far less exuberance than Mucha would have afforded them, the Holly and the Mistletoe are not overwhelmingly exaggerated and, perhaps most interestingly, Atché does not employ strict vertical symmetry. The image of Holly has a wide-open space at the top, with a distant view of the Pyrennees, and Mistletoe is set against a backdrop of trees. They are both highly inventive and decorative works in a pure Art Nouveau style.