Master of Art Nouveau: Alphonse Mucha
This week (July 24th) marks the 152nd anniversary of the birth of Alphonse Mucha, Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist.
Mucha is best known for his distinctive style; his use of tender colours and bycantine decorative elements became the trademark of the Art Nouveau movement.
![F. Champenois imprimeur-éditeur 66 Boul[evard] St Michel. 1898 : [affiche] (Avec lettre) / Mucha](http://blog.europeana.eu/wp-content/plugins/bj-lazy-load/img/placeholder.gif "F. Champenois imprimeur-éditeur 66 Boul[evard] St Michel. 1898 : [affiche] (Avec lettre) / Mucha")
During his life Mucha produced many paintings, posters, illustrations, postcards and advertisements, many of which can be found through Europeana and through a dedicated Art Nouveau Exhibition. The subject of his works were often beautiful young women with long flowing hair and Neoclassical robes, usually surrounded by lush flowers which sometimes formed halos behind their heads. The use of women as his subjects would later develop into a key signature of his style.
The 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris spread the “Mucha style” internationally, of which Mucha said “I think [the Exposition Universelle] made some contribution toward bringing aesthetic values into arts and crafts”. This provided the launch pad for Mucha’s future success and importance as an influential designer of French “Art Nouveau”.
At the 1900 Universal Exhibition he decorated the Bosnia and Herzegovina Pavilion and collaborated with decorating the Austrian Pavilion. Throughout his life Mucha was unhappy with his style being labeled as ‘Art Nouveau’ and tirelessly tried to disassociate himself from the movement. He always insisted that rather than maintaining any fashionable stylistic form, his paintings were entirely a product of his personal artistic spirit and Czech heritage. He declared that art existed only to communicate a spiritual message, and nothing more; hence his frustration at the fame he gained by his commercial art, when he most wanted to concentrate on more artistic projects.
Images: Courtesy of the French National Library - Public Domain
I love Mucha’s work. I have several of his pics as background shots for my computer. His non-commercial Slavic history stuff is pretty awesome as well. He seemed to do a lot of advertisements. I’ve always thought he would be a good book illustrator, but I am not aware that he ever did any.
I bought a large framed print of Mucha’s Bieres e la Meuse about 10 years ago and got hooked! I have many more Mucha prints now and love everything about Art Nouveau, whether it’s art, architecture or jewelry.
I find many similarities with comics by Milo Manara as far as women and vegetation are concerned.
I took note of MUCHA, when I visited as EU-official Prag in the beginning 90thies of last century. We got invited to the famous restaurant, which has saved the memory to Mucha nearly the whole century.By the ‘old’ furnishment you could really feel the spirit of the time when MUCHA began to become one of the most famous Czech artists. (10 years ago I visited again this restaurant, but all things were restaured in an manner without the spirit of MUCHA, but being touristic).
I understand,well that MUCHA has not accepted the integration to be ‘Art Noveau’. He is special, but it seems he has inspired this Type of Art in Vienna, espially by the decorative ornaments (which partially remember to Turkish or even Arabian decorations of modern style.)