Manufacture Royale De Corsets 1897

Alphonse Mucha created this advertisement for the Manufacture Royale de Corsets in Brussels using lithography. The flat planes of color and flowing lines, typical of the Art Nouveau style, are achieved through a printing process that allows for mass production. But don't let the elegance of the image fool you. Corsets, while fashionable, were instruments of control, literally shaping women's bodies to fit societal ideals. The "Manufacture Royale" suggests not just a factory, but a royal endorsement, implying that these corsets are fit for royalty. This alludes to the intense labor required to produce these garments. Consider the skilled hands needed to sew boning, lace, and fabric into these restrictive shapes. Mucha’s poster encapsulates the contradictions of the era – a celebration of beauty intertwined with the realities of industrial production and social constraints. It reminds us that even the most decorative objects are embedded in complex systems of labor and power.