Elfe mit Irisblüten c. 1885 - 1890

Alphonse Mucha made this watercolor painting of an elf with iris flowers. Mucha was a master of line, and he puts the unique qualities of watercolor to brilliant use here. Notice how he captures light and shadow with the subtle, almost translucent washes of color. Unlike oil paints, which can be layered thickly, watercolors demand a delicate touch. Mucha coaxes the water and pigment to blend seamlessly, creating soft edges that enhance the dreamy, ethereal quality of the fairy. Mucha was deeply embedded in the commercial world of Art Nouveau, and a master of what we might call "the total work of art", but it's important to remember that this was also a job. It was often piecework, with a premium placed on speed. In this context, the immediacy and fluidity of watercolor would have been a real advantage, allowing Mucha to produce these images quickly and efficiently. The artist, therefore, straddles the worlds of high art, popular aesthetics, and commercial manufacturing. This image reminds us that materials, making, and social context are inseparable.