La Samaritaine
Medium
Color lithograph from multiple stones on paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 175.2 × 59.7 cm (69 × 23 9/16 in.)
Classification
poster
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
16907
Art Historical Context
Alphonse Mucha’s *La Samaritaine* (1897) exemplifies the golden age of the Art Nouveau poster. Created as a color lithograph printed from multiple stones, the work harnesses the medium’s ability to deliver vibrant hues and intricate line work on a grand scale—nearly six feet tall—transforming commercial advertising into an accessible form of public art. Mucha’s signature style, with its sinuous contours, stylized floral motifs, and elegant female figures, helped define the movement’s visual language across Europe. Displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago, this large-format print reflects the...