Lefevre Utile - Gaufrettes Label

This attractive image is a biscuits packaging design created by Alphonse Mucha for Lefèvre-Utile. The center image, which would be attached to on the top of the biscuits box, marks out the name of this particular type, "Gaufrettes Praline’es," ( Praline Wafers) and pictures a well-dressed couple enjoying the biscuits made by Lefèvre-Utile. The side images have the words Gaufrettes Praline’es repeated to create name recognition of the biscuit type.
Lefèvre-Utile was founded in 1846 in Nantes by Jean-Romain Lefèvre and his wife Pauline-Isabelle Utile with the opening of a bakery. Mucha in this poster was the first to use the initials "LU" for the brand, which went on to become how people refer to the brand to this day. By 1910 the LU factory in Nantes produced more than 6,000 tons of biscuits per year and employed 1,200 workers. The brand still exists today and can be found in many countries.
The artist of this poster is the famous Czech artist Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939). He liked drawing when he was a child, and at a young age started working as a theatrical scenery painter. In 1879, Mucha moved to Vienna to pursue this line of work, and soon after was sponsored to study at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. The artist moved to Paris in 1887 to continue his studies at Académie Julian and Académie Colarossi. He soon became popular in the French capital for his paintings, illustrations and designs for jewelry and wallpapers, among others. His style became known as Art Nouveau, French for "New Art". Mucha usually depicted beautiful women surrounded by flowers and Neoclassical inspired robes. Mucha created posters for many brands, for LU he also designed posters, wrappers and other printed objects.

This is an Original Vintage LabeI, it is not a reproduction. This rare label is conservation mounted, linen backed and in excellent condition. We guarantee the authenticity of all of our posters.