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| Summer (1899) by Alphonse Mucha (from The Magazine of Art) |
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Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) was born on July 24,1860. He was a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist. He produced many paintings, illustrations, advertisements, postcards, and designs. He was one of the most important artists in the
movement known as Art Nouveau (French for "new art"), which was most
popular from about 1890-1910 and his distinctive style was highly influential and often imitated.
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| Self Portrait by Mucha (1907) (courtesy of wikiart.org) |
Art Nouveau embraced asymmetrical, curved, flowing and often undulating lines, inspired by
natural forms and structures, such as those of flowers and plants.
Art
Nouveau designs were applied to the graphic arts and print media, as
well as architecture, lighting, jewelry, textiles, furniture and
ceramics. Everyday objects of the period, such as silverware and
cigarette cases, often reflect this style as well.
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| Art Nouveau Wall Cabinet by Louis Majorelle (Late 19th Century) (link) |
The Art Nouveau style was most popular
in Europe, and was known by many different names, including Jugendstil
in Germany and Scandinavia; Stile Floreale and Stile Liberty in Italy;
and Tiffany Style in the United States, because of its association with
stained glass artist Louis Comfort Tiffany.
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| The Tree of Life by Louis Comfort Tiffany (link) |
Born in Ivančice, Moravia (currently part of the Czech Republic), Alphonse Mucha initially worked doing decorative painting, primarily painting theater scenery in Moravia and then in Vienna, Austria from 1879-1881. He returned to Moravia in 1881, and did freelance decorative and portrait painting. He was hired by Count Karl Khuen of Mikulov to decorate Hrušovany Emmahof Castle with murals. The Count was
impressed with Mucha's work, and agreed to sponsor his formal training at
the Munich Academy of Fine Arts.
Mucha moved to Paris in 1887, and continued his studies at Académie Julian and Académie Colarossi.
In addition to his studies, he produced many magazine and
advertising illustrations over the next several years.
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Advertising Poster by Mucha (1899)
(courtesy of wikiart.org) |
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Advertising Poster by Mucha (1896)
(courtesy of wikiart.org) |
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| Advertising Poster by Mucha (1897) (courtesy of wikiart.org) |
He designed an
advertising poster for a play featuring Sarah Bernhardt, the most famous actress at the time in Paris. The advertisement for the play,
Gismonda by Victorien Sardou was posted in the city on January 1, 1895, and it attracted positive attention.
Sarah Bernhardt was so satisfied with the success of this first poster that she began a six-year contract with Mucha.
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| Gismonda by Mucha (1894) (link) |
In Paris, Mucha found success by producing numerous paintings, posters, advertisements, and
book illustrations, as well as designs for jewelry, carpets, wallpaper,
and theatre sets. Mucha's work was featured prominently at the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris, during which he decorated the Bosnia and Herzegovina Pavilion and collaborated with decorating the Austrian Pavilion.
Mucha used pastel colors in many of his works, which contrasted sharply with the bright colors favored by other poster artists of that time. His works frequently featured beautiful young women in flowing robes, often wearing flowers in their hair, with flowers sometimes forming halos behind their heads.
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| Illustration by Mucha (1897) (link) |
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| Calendar--Champagne by Mucha (1897) (courtesy of wikiart.org) |
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| Calendar--Cherry Blossom (1898) (courtesy of wikiart.org) |
Mucha was often frustrated by gaining fame through his commercial art. He believed that art existed only to communicate a spiritual message,
and he wanted to concentrate on artistic projects that were of more importance to him. In addition to his poster art and illustrations, he created sculptures, designs for stained glass, and paintings which depicted historical, mythological and religious scenes.
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| The Judgment of Paris by Mucha (1895) (courtesy of wikiart.org) |
Mucha spent many years working on what he considered his life's fine art masterpiece,
The Slav Epic. It was created as a celebration of Slavic history and given to the city of Prague in
1928. Since 2012, the series has been on display at the National Gallery's Veletržní Palace in Prague.
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| The Introduction of the Slavonic Liturgy by Mucha (1912) (courtesy of wikiart.org) |
Mucha was married in 1906, in
Prague. He and his wife Maruška visited the U.S. from 1906 to 1910. Their daughter Jaroslava was born in New York City. They also had a son, Jiří, born in 1915 in Prague. He later
became a journalist, writer, screenwriter, author of autobiographical
novels and studies of the works of his father.
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| Mucha Illustrations from The New York Daily News (1904) (courtesy of wikiart.org) |
After returning to live in Prague, Alphonse Mucha decorated the Theater of Fine Arts, and created murals in the Mayor's Office at the Municipal House, and at other landmarks around the city. When Czechoslovakia won its independence after World War I, Mucha designed postage stamps, banknotes, and other government documents.
With the rise of fascism during the late 1930s, Mucha's
works and his Slavic nationalism were denounced in the press as "reactionary". When German troops moved into Czechoslovakia during the spring of 1939, Mucha was among the first to be arrested by the Gestapo.
During his interrogation, he developed pneumonia.
Though released eventually, he
died in Prague on 14 July 1939, due to lung infection, and was buried there.
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| Alphonse Mucha's Stained Glass Window in St. Vitus Cathedral Inside Prague Castle Photo by Clayton Tang (link) |
Although Mucha's style enjoys great popularity today, at the time when he died, it was considered outdated. His son, author Jiří Mucha,
devoted much of his life to writing about him and bringing attention to
his artwork. In his own country, there was not much interest for many years.
The Slav Epic was rolled and stored for
twenty-five years after his death before being displayed publicly, and eventually a Mucha
museum was opened in Prague, managed by his grandson John Mucha.
Mucha's work has continued to experience periodic revivals of
interest for illustrators and artists. During the 1960s, Mucha's distinctive art Nouveau style heavily influenced psychedelic poster art. And today, his work continues to inspire, and is appreciated worldwide for its graceful and timeless beauty.
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| Evening Reverie-Nocturnal Slumber by Mucha (1898) (courtesy of wikiart.org) |
Biographical information paraphrased from wikipedia.com https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphonse_Mucha
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