Dawn by Alfons Mucha

The poetry of seasons and the beauty of the feminine form intertwine spectacularly in the decorative art series of Alphonse Mucha. In this splendid elongated print, the artist harmoniously integrates the allegorical title “Dawn” at the heart of wild nature. The master of Art Nouveau uses the sensuality of a female nude to express the perfect communion of the human being with cosmic and terrestrial elements.

A magnificent, entirely nude red-haired woman is depicted lying on her back, turning her face in profile to the right to contemplate the distant landscape. She rests on fluid draperies of pearl gray and golden color that partially cover her legs with grace. Her long wavy red hair is put up in a loose bun, held by thin branches of wild ivy. In the background, large deep blue curtains part to reveal a glowing sunset where a large orange star sinks behind sparkling cypress trees. The golden evening light softly caresses the curve of her bare back, creating a striking contrast with the cool shadows of the forest foreground.

The artist demonstrates an absolute mastery of anatomy and perspective through this complex pose of great elegance. The delicate work on the warm and cool color gradients and the use of sinuous lines of force confirm his immense technical genius as an outstanding draftsman and colorist.