Study of Alphonse Mucha’s ‘La Femme aux Iris’ in Watercolor and Gouache

This exquisite watercolor and gouache study of La Femme aux Iris (Woman with Irises) depicts a woman with vibrant ginger hair adorned with a crown of French bearded irises. Her left arm is captured mid-motion as she delicately places a bloom in her hair. The bearded iris, historically flourishing along the banks of the River Lis, became known as the fleur-de-lis and was the official flower of France. She wears a white chemise that peeks out beneath a cross-wrapped pink tunic, adding to the elegance of the composition.