Based upon a semi-autobiographical novel by Alexandre Dumas, La Dame aux Camélias (“The Lady with the Camelias”) is the story of an ill-fated romance between a young bourgeois, Armand, and a courtesan, Marguerite, who suffers from consumption. Their love is shattered when Armand’s father, concerned with the scandal created by their illicit relationship, convinces Marguerite to leave.
Alphonse Mucha’s first poster for Sarah Bernhardt, advertising an extended run of the play Gismonda, created an immediate sensation. Enamored of his work, she signed him to a six-year contract, during which he designed six more posters, all of which feature the full-standing figure of the actress against the backdrop of an elongated alcove.
