Esterbrook Estie Nouveau Bleu with Chrome Trim Fountain

At the turn of the 19th century, Czech artist Alphonse Mucha was at the height of his career. A fine artist, whose name is now synonymous with the art nouveau style, Mucha came from an illustration background and became widely and commercially well-known through his advertisements for everything from chocolate to cigarettes to laundry detergent. While living in Paris, Mucha was also celebrated for his idealized female figures that were often based on Parisian film stars and glitterati, and his work included his years studying, drawing, and painting film actress and icon, Sarah Bernhardt. His portraits of her were printed as large-scale posters heralding his commercial work which took advantage of new advances in printing. In 1887, the invention of celluloid film paved the way for Mucha to become the first artist to work directly from photography. Thusly, his color palette was often the rich, warm, pastel tones of photographs and he used these hues to create Mucha women with flowing hai