-- A beautiful moment of silence, enveloped in silence and melancholy --

A quiet time comes, as if everything is submerged underwater.
Beyond the lost years, the world continues to breathe slowly, shrouded in sadness.
The young Ilse soon dreams of being embraced by fate...
What is reflected in those eyes? A love that has passed away, or a future that has yet to arrive?
Mucha's painting of this scene captures a time like the "silence of poetry" that accumulates deep in the heart.

Work description (summary)

This illustration consists of a scene that marks the beginning of Chapter 3 of Part 1 of the story, "Chapter III" (p.27), and a text illustration that continues on p.28.

On page 27, the story moves forward six years later. After the death of the old lord, the castle of Braille lost its glory, and its former splendor is no longer visible, with its moss-covered stone walls, murky moat, and water that no longer reflects the stars. The setting of the story shifts to a fantastical time, shrouded in loss and silence.

The illustration on page 28 poetically depicts the scene in which Jaufre, now 21 years old, sees himself reflected in the lake. His figure sways on the clear water's surface, the wind, light, and shadows of the leaves play, and the fantasy eventually overlaps with the ideal image he has in his mind. The premonition of love sways like water, and it is unclear whether the image of the woman reflected there is reality or a dream.

In this work, Mucha depicts the lyrical time and inner world that flow through the story in soft colors and decorativeness. The decoration that envelops the girl's profile and the fantasy of the waterside speaks of the gaze and resonates with silence.

This work is included in the lavishly illustrated book "Ilse of Tripoli," published in German in 1901.

• Title : Illustration from "Ilse, Princess of Tripoli"

• Artist : Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939)

• Year of production : 1901

• Technique : Color lithograph (double-sided printing)

• Size : Approx. 30 x 20 cm (paper surface)

*The frame in the image is for reference only. Please contact us regarding framing.

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"Alfons Mucha and 'Ilse, Princess of Tripoli' | The appeal of the story and illustrations"

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This work is an original antique print made over 100 years ago.

All works sold at Rivoli Antiques are genuine works of artistic value that were printed at the time, and are not later reproductions or copies.