Czech artist Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) was living and working in Paris at the time he was commissioned in 1899 by L’Art Photographique publishers Georges Carré and C. Naud to produce this Art-Nouveau inspired cover for the journal. Mucha’s design features stylized grouping of flowers (butterflies can also be seen in design at center) set off by typography proclaiming the name of the publication as well as its publishers and editor. The work is produced as a multiple-colored lithograph by the Paris atelier Rougeron-Vignerot-Demoulin SC as noted in red ink at lower right corner margin of cover recto. The back cover recto (inside back cover is blank) features a full-page advertisement done in multiple colors for the recently published volume Les Maitres de la Photographie.

Note: dark line running down outside left margin of cover recto is from bound volume hinging crease.

Original copy for this entry posted to Facebook on September  11, 2011:

Alphonse Mucha, the Czech artist known today as the very personification of the Art Nouveau poster, designed the cover for the short-lived French photographic journal L’Art Photographique: 1899-1900. Paris publishers Georges Carré and C. Naud originally intended for photographs to appear on it but shifted gears during the production process. Paris lithographers Rougeron-Vignerot-Demoulin published the cover in multiple colors.