Czech artist Alphonse Mucha and his paintings. Alphonse Mucha and his women Alphonse Maria Mucha high resolution

The work of the Polish artist of the first half of the twentieth century, unfortunately, is little known in our time. Although the originality and originality of his talent found many fans all over the world. No one will remain indifferent while admiring the series of paintings “Flowers”, “Seasons”, “Slavic Virgins”, “Months”, in which the artist glorifies female beauty, the beauty of nature and acts as an expert on folk traditions and rituals.

Biography of Alphonse Mucha

Alfons was born in Moravia in the small provincial town of Ivančice in 1860. It was the end of the 19th century that left its mark on all of his work; even in the middle of the 20th century, he did not lose his poetry and dreaminess, trying in a stormy, turbulent time to reflect the soul of the people in his works.

His father Ondzhej, a tailor by profession, a poor man, remained a widower with several children and entered into a second marriage (most likely for convenience) with the daughter of a wealthy miller Amalia, who later became the mother of a famous artist.

Amalia died early, but Ondjei was the best of fathers for his large family and all his children, even girls, which was surprising at that time, received secondary education.

Alfons studied at the Slavic Gymnasium in the small Polish city of Brno until he was 17, and then his father managed to get the young man into the Academy of Arts in Prague. So Alphonse became a student, but it must be said that he was far from the best of students. He shamelessly skipped classes, including the Law of God, which was considered unacceptable, and received excellent marks only in drawing and singing.

The student was soon expelled from the Academy due to “any lack of talent for art” and became a clerk in the city court of Ivanichitsa. Two years later, having accidentally stumbled upon an advertisement for a vacancy for a decorator in a Viennese company that produces theatrical props, he gets a job there as a set designer. But in 1881 the company went bankrupt, and Alphonse was again left out of business.

Thanks to his father’s efforts, he moves to the southern city of Mikulov, where he does whatever he needs: he draws a little theatrical scenery, does miniatures, portraits, posters, and sometimes, for lack of other work, paints.

And then the artist was lucky: he was asked to paint the castle of Count Kuen of Grushovanov, where he painted the ceilings in the then accepted style of the Italian Renaissance. After this, he was sent to the count's brother at Gandegg Castle in distant Tyrol. Here he not only painted the rooms, but also painted a portrait of the countess and the entire family. In his free time, which was rare, the artist managed to get out into nature, where he avidly drew from life.

The Viennese painting professor Kray comes to visit the count; he becomes interested in the works of the young artist and convinces him to continue his education. The satisfied count acts as a patron of Alphonse and sends him at his own expense to the Academy of Art of the city of Munich. So, in 1885 the artist continued his professional education. Two years later he transferred to the Academy of Arts in Paris, and immediately into the third year.

This is the best time in his studies, but it will soon end: the count stopped paying the scholarship, and the young man had to rely only on his own strength. In some of his memoirs, Alphonse Mucha hints at periods of hardship and adversity, but already in 1991 he established strong ties with the publisher Armand Collin, and also wrote posters for plays starring Sarah Bernhardt. The great actress liked the works of the young artist so much that she entered into a six-year contract with him for all new works.

Thus, Alphonse enters a period of prosperity and fame: exhibitions of his works are held with great excitement in many major European cities, and changeable Fortune finally knocked on the artist’s door.

Slavic Epic

Nowadays, it is believed that the works of this cycle are the artist’s most valuable investment in the treasury of world art. Much later, in the “Parisian period,” Alphonse Mucha revived and multiplied his successful discoveries and gave us new creations.

Love for the Motherland, its nature, its history and its traditions is an integral part of the work of a true artist. Therefore, already as a mature creator, Alphonse Mucha plans to create a series of paintings dedicated to the history of the Slavs. This idea was not born at one moment; he nurtured it for a long time, traveling through Slavic countries, including Russia. Work on the epic, which brought the artist worldwide fame, lasted 20 years, and twenty huge canvases were painted depicting the culminating moments of history.

All the artist’s works are extremely optimistic - they carry a huge charge of faith in their country and its people. He donated the entire collection of paintings to his beloved city of Prague. In 1963, after the death of the artist, the public gained access to the entire collection of paintings and to this day admire the amazing gift of a true patriot, Alphonse Mucha.

Love in the life of an artist

It is in Paris that Mucha meets his love, his muse - the Czech girl Maria Chytilova. In 1906, they got married, although Maria is twenty years younger than Alphonse, but she sincerely loves him and admires his work.

For Alphonse, this young girl became, as he himself said, his second love after his Motherland. Together with her, he moves to live in America, with which he signed lucrative contracts for a series of works. The artist’s children were born here, but dreams of a distant homeland never left him, and in 1910 Alphonse’s family returned to Moravia.

The last period of creativity

In 1928, after finishing work on the Slavic Epic, Mucha worked on creating the official banknotes of independent Czechoslovakia and a collection of stamps. All his life, the artist never tired of learning new things, searching for himself and striving for self-expression; all his endeavors were “doomed to success”, thanks to his original talent and tireless work.

With the coming to power of the fascists and the propaganda of racist theories, interest in Mucha's work declines. He is declared a pan-Slavist, his patriotism runs counter to the propaganda of racism, and paintings glorifying the beauty of his native nature do not fit into the propaganda of violence and cruelty.

The artist was declared an enemy of the Third Reich and imprisoned. Although he was soon released, his health was undermined, and in 1939 Alphonse Mucha died. Before his death, the artist managed to publish his memoirs, and according to his will, he was buried in the Czech Republic at the Visegrad cemetery.

Unfairly forgotten

The only Alphonse Mucha museum is open in Prague. On the initiative of his children and grandchildren, it was opened in 1998. It is here that you can see the poster for the play “Gismonda” that changed the master’s life. The museum houses exhibits that accompany the artist’s life and illuminate his work.

Many of the objects exhibited here were donated to the museum by the artist’s family, from which you can learn about his personal life and character, habits and family relationships.

Alphonse Maria Mucha(1860-1939) - Czech graphic artist, painter, virtuoso of decorative and applied arts. His name is associated with the emergence of a new style in art, which originated at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. In European art, this style was called Art Nouveau or Art Nouveau.

A distinctive feature of works in the Art Nouveau style was the rejection of straight lines in favor of natural curves. Alphonse Mucha was a recognized master of new, sophisticated forms. His multifaceted talent influenced many European architects, artists, and graphic artists.

Biography of Alphonse Mucha

On July 24, 1860, not far from Brno, in the old small Moravian town of Ivančice, Alfons Maria Mucha was born. The boy began to get involved in singing and painting early.

After graduating from high school, his father sent his work to an art school in Prague with a request for enrollment. But in response, the professors said that the author of the works did not have enough talent.

After such a failure, the young man had to work as a clerk in a local court. But this did not stop Alphonse from coming up with scenery, drawing posters and tickets for the local theater. In many ways, this period of his life determined the nature of his future work.

Two years later, in 1789, following an advertisement in a Viennese newspaper, Alphonse Mucha got a job in the workshop " Kautsky-Briosci-Burkhart", which was engaged in the manufacture of various theatrical accessories.

In 1881, the workshop was completely destroyed in a fire, and the artist was forced to leave for the small Czech town of Mikulov. Here he had to start decorating the ancestral castle of the local count Kuen-Belasi.

Alphonse's work made a great impression on the count, who offered help to the young artist and became his patron of the arts. In 1885 Alfons entered the third year of the Academy of Arts in Munich. After studying for two years, the artist decided to complete his art education in Paris.

Alphonse Mucha was accepted into one of the most famous art schools in France - Julien Academy, and then in Academy Colarossi. However, in 1889 he was deprived of the financial assistance of Count Kuena-Belassi and worked as a simple designer and newspaper illustrator.

In 1894, the artist received an order from the theater " Renaissance" A poster was required for the premiere of the play "Gismonda" with a brilliant Sarah Bernard. By choosing an elongated horizontal format for his work, adding color and small details, the artist changed the previously existing principle of drawing up posters.

The work of an unknown artist made a tremendous impression on Sarah Bernhardt. The great actress wanted to meet him. As a result of cooperation, the following works were created: “ Lady with camellias», « Medea», « Samaritan woman», « Yearning», « Hamlet»

During this period of creativity, the artist develops his own characteristic, recognizable style.

The semantic center of the horizontally elongated panel is the image of a mysterious stranger with a captivating smile on her lips, framed by an intricate ornament composed of fragments of fantastic flowers and plants, symbolic images, and exquisite interweaving of arabesques.

On the wave of success, in 1897, in the Parisian gallery " La Bodiniere“The first exhibition of the artist’s works was successfully held. Next year in Salon des Cent(Salon Sta) a second, larger one opened. Then a number of exhibitions took place throughout Europe.

In 1898, Alphonse's brilliant collaboration began with Georges Fouquet, the son of an enterprising Parisian jeweler. The result of collaboration was an extraordinary collection of jewelry. Impressed by the success, the jeweler ordered Mukha to decorate the facade of his house and design the interior for a new store.

In addition to artistic creativity, Alphonse Mucha was engaged in teaching and analytical activities. In 1901, his book “Decorative Documentation” was published, which became a practical guide for many artists.

It contained samples of all kinds of ornaments, sketches of furniture, household items, and sketches of jewelry. Most of the submitted drawings were later embodied in finished products.

In 1900, the World Exhibition was held in Paris, for which Mucha designed the pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was at this time that the artist developed an interest in the history of the Slavic peoples, which only intensified while traveling through his native places. The desire to create a cycle of patriotic paintings in the neoclassical style grows stronger in him.

By the beginning of the 20th century, Alphonse Mucha had gained a reputation as a master, whose opinion was listened to with respect by the artistic community not only in Europe, but also in America, which he first visited in 1904. The name of Alphonse Mucha was well known in America.

April 3, 1904 newspaper " New York Daily News"published one of his works - " Friendship"and an article dedicated to the artist’s work. In 1906 Alphonse Mucha collaborated with " German Theater» in New York: he came up with the scenery and curtain design, created decorative panels and costume sketches. He spent four years in the USA, successfully combining painting and teaching.

Returning to the Czech Republic in 1910, the artist began working on realizing his long-time dream - creating a series of paintings “ Slavic epic" This work took almost 18 years.

In 1913, Alphonse Mucha traveled to Russia, visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg. His visit to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra evoked special feelings. The impressions received during the trip were reflected in the “Russian” paintings of this cycle.

In 1918, the new Republic of Czechoslovakia was formed, and its government turned to Alphonse Mucha with a request to develop the design of new state stamps, postage stamps, the state emblem and forms of government documents. This period of his work is marked by the creation of a sketch of the famous stained glass window in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague Castle.

The final painting from the “Slavic Epic” series was painted in 1928, and the artist donated 20 works that poeticized the history of the Slavic peoples to the Czech people. These works aroused less interest among viewers than his early works in the Art Nouveau style, although for Alphonse Mucha himself, working on this grandiose plan was the main meaning of his creative life.

In 1939, after the occupation of Czechoslovakia, the artist was arrested by the Nazis. Alphonse Mucha died in prison on July 14, 1939 and was buried in the Visegrad cemetery in Prague. In 1998, a museum was opened in the capital of the Czech Republic in honor of the famous Czech artist.

Creativity and works of Alphonse Mucha

The paintings of Alphonse Mucha, with the exception of the epic paintings “Slavic Epic”, are few in number and practically unknown to the general public. This is mainly chamber genre and portrait painting:

• « Woman in red", 1902
• « Madonna of the Lilies", 1920
• « Winter night", 1920
• « Portrait of Yaroslava", 1930
• « Woman with a burning candle", 1933

Cycle of works “Slavic Epic”

Alphonse Mucha worked on the painting cycle “Slavic Epic” from 1910 to 1928. 20 grandiose canvases were donated to Prague. The artist considered working on this cycle the main work of his life. Some paintings from the cycle:

Lithographs, posters and posters

Alphonse Mucha masterfully used the wide possibilities of lithography technology (printing from the surface of a stone treated with a special chemical composition) in his works. With its help, he achieved a unique play of textures that enhances the artistic expressiveness of works known today throughout the world. The lithography technique allows for replication, while each print retains its artistic originality. Thanks to this, the artist quickly became known throughout the world. In many houses one could see images of his beautiful women.

• Posters for performances of the Renaissance Theater, 1894-1900
• » 1897
• ", series 1896
• ", series 1898
• ", series 1900
• ", 1911

Jewelry

When creating posters for performances in which Sarah Bernhardt shone, Alphonse Mucha depicted unusual jewelry on them. In search of new forms, he studied history and folklore.

These unprecedented jewelry attracted the attention of Georges Fouquet, a Parisian jeweler. As a result of the happy collaboration of two talented artists, absolutely innovative works of jewelry were born.

The most famous piece of jewelry, created according to Mucha’s sketch in 1899, is “ Rose hands", a gold bracelet in the shape of a snake, decorated with a scattering of precious stones. For the first time, a sketch of this bracelet appeared on the poster for the play “ Medea»

It is noteworthy that although Alphonse Mucha is rightfully considered a recognized master of Art Nouveau, the artist himself did not admit his affinity for this art. He was categorically against being remembered only for his magnificent decorative works.

Working on the “Slavic Epic,” he hoped to convey to people’s consciousness his spiritual component, patriotism, and concern for the future of his people. However, in the history of art, Alphonse Mucha forever remained a master of perfect forms.

Alphonse Mucha Museum in Prague

In 1998 in the historical center of Prague, in a magnificent Baroque Kaunicki Palace, built in 1720, a museum was opened dedicated to the work of the world famous and beloved Czech artist Alphonse Mucha.

The museum's collection includes more than 100 works. Paintings, drawings, pastels, lithographs, photographs, personal items. Particular attention is paid to the works of the most famous, Parisian period of the artist’s work. The museum has a souvenir shop.

Cost of visiting the museum:

• 180 crowns - adults
• 120 CZK – children, students and elderly people over 65 years of age
• 490 CZK – family ticket (2 adults, 2 children)

Museum address: Prague 1, Panská 7. Location on the map of Prague:

Telephone: +420 221-451-333

Official website of the museum: www.mucha.cz

Work schedule: daily from 10:00 to 18:00

Alphonse Mucha made a truly invaluable contribution to the development of the culture of his homeland and the Czech Republic is grateful for all his creations.

I continue the theme of the great Czech artist - ALPHONSE MARIA MUKHA .
This is the third post dedicated to the life and work of the artist. I don’t like to make links to myself in my posts, so those who are interested can find previous posts by tag "A. Mucha".

With respect to my readers, Sergey Vorobiev.

Be it posters, calendars, labels, packaging, menu cards, postcards or invitation cards - very soon after the start of the collaboration with Sarah Bernhardt "Mukha style" penetrates everywhere.
While Sarah Bernhardt is fighting a lawsuit over the illegal sale of "Gismonda" posters, the printing house of Ferdinand Champenois, following all the rules of book printing, begins to turn Mucha's works into hard cash. This time, an exclusive contract is concluded with the artist with an astronomical fee - we are talking about 4,000 francs per month, which should pay off for both parties, even though Mucha subsequently often complains about the overwhelming amount of work assigned to him by Champenois.

In 1896, the first cycle of decorative panels “FOUR SEASONS” appeared.

Through the Year with Alphonse Mucha.
From left to right: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter

Taking into account all the options, almost fifty series on this topic will be created, of which “Four Arts”, “Four Times of Day”, “Moon and Stars”, “Four Precious Stones” and “Four Flowers” ​​are still among the most popular today works by Alphonse Mucha.

These panels have an elongated shape - they are narrow and tall; They are printed both in cheap and expensive versions, using the latest technology in printing. They are conceived as wall decorations, as mass art for everyone, which “will look great both in the hallway and on the staircase,” as one art critic writes, quite favorably.

Champenois and his artist hit the nerve. Just a year earlier, art dealer Samuel Bing had founded a salon in Paris "Art Nouveau" . While an artistic movement with this name does not yet exist, the daily growing flow of works of this style, which has become known under various names in different countries (in Russia - modern), is beginning to undermine the strict etiquette of salon and monumental art. Art goes into mass production, Belle Époque - the Belle Epoque - creates the largest gallery in history, consisting of a wide variety of everyday objects.

"FOUR ARTS" (1898)

Floating hair and dancing leaves
in the transparency of the morning light,
conveying the playing lightness of movements
in the panel "Dance"

Early twilight in the panel "Poetry"

The intimacy of a moonlit evening and the gesture of listening
in the panel "Music"

The joy of daylight
in the panel "Painting"

Here Alphonse Mucha finds a fruitful field of activity: “I was glad that I did not make art for closed salons, but could make art for the people. It was cheap, everyone could buy it, and it reached both the families of the haves and the families of the have-nots.”

Panels Flies are selling in great demand. Champanois additionally printed about 150 motifs on postcards, introduced in France as a means of correspondence in 1873, and these openly spread the “Mucha style” throughout the world.

One of the most popular cycles of Alphonse Mucha -
"FOUR SEASONS OF DAY" (1899).

From left to right: "Morning awakening", "Day activities",
"Evening Dreams" and "Night Peace"

"MOON AND STARS" (1902)

"FOUR PRECIOUS STONES" (1900)

"FOUR FLOWERS"

Alphonse Mucha, a Czech artist whose name has become a symbol of the Golden Age of painting in the West, is practically unknown in our country. Meanwhile, the talented master left a deep mark on the history of art, introducing his own unique style, which is still called the “Mukha style.” What is the secret and tragedy of the fate of the famous artist? This is what our article is about.

Biography

Alphonse Mucha was born in 1860 in the town of Ivančice (Moravia). His father was a court official, and his mother was the daughter of a wealthy miller. Since childhood, the boy showed his creative inclinations, becoming interested in singing. Already at school age he began to draw, and after graduating from high school he decided to enter the Academy of Arts in Prague. He failed his exams, so he had to look for a job. The father gets his son a job as a clerk in court, and in his free time Alphonse Mucha works part-time in the theater. He tries himself as an actor, and then as a poster decorator. It was a time of creative wandering and self-searching. For some time he works as a scenery designer for the theater, and then he is invited to paint the walls of the castle of Count Kuen-Belassi. The Count, admiring the artist's talent, agrees to pay for his education at the Munich Academy of Arts.

Confession

After training, Alphonse Mucha moved to Paris. However, by this time his patron dies, and the artist is left without a livelihood. To do what you love, you need expensive paints, brushes and paper. To feed themselves, the future celebrity is forced to earn a living by making posters, posters, invitations and calendars. But fate is favorable to the genius. One such poster radically changes Alphonse’s life. the famous actress, for whose representation Mukha wrote an order, recommends him as the chief decorator of the Renaissance Theater. The artist instantly becomes famous. There was no end to orders for posters and advertising posters for various products. At the same time, Alphonse Mucha began to paint original paintings and organize personal exhibitions in Paris.

Love

New moments in life are associated with Paris. Here, at the National Theater, Mucha meets a young Czech woman, Maria Chytilova. A girl who is 20 years younger falls in love with the artist and arranges a meeting with him. Maria becomes a new muse for Alphonse, the second love in life, as he himself noted, after his homeland. In 1906, the master married Maria. Later they have two daughters and a son. At the same time, Mucha moved to the United States at the invitation of the American Society of Illustrators, where he continued to work until 1910. Here he receives several orders for portraits, and also lectures at New York University. But dreams of his homeland do not leave the artist, and soon he returns to the Czech Republic.

Last tribute to the homeland

After returning to Prague, Alphonse Mucha, whose paintings become known throughout the world, begins his most ambitious work. He plans to paint monumental canvases on which he depicts the history of the Slavic peoples. In 1928, the author finished the “Slavic Epic” and gave it to his native Prague. Mucha’s work on the creation of official banknotes and stamps of independent Czechoslovakia dates back to the same period. Throughout his life, Alfons never stops learning and improving his artistic talent.

Forgotten genius

After the 30s, interest in the work of the fly begins to decline, and by the beginning of the 2nd World War he was even included in the list of enemies of the Third Reich. He was imprisoned on suspicion of promoting anti-fascist and nationalist sentiments. After a series of arrests and interrogations in 1939, Alphonse dies of pneumonia, having managed to publish his memoirs in 1939. Mucha was buried in the Czech Republic at the Visegrad cemetery.

Family

Mucha lived a long and fruitful life, leaving behind talented descendants. Maria, the master's student and wife, survived her husband by 20 years. Jiri, the artist’s son, became a famous journalist, and the master’s daughters and grandchildren inherited his creative abilities. Thus, Mukha’s granddaughter Jarmila, who is still alive, created a project to create decorative items based on her grandfather’s sketches.

Creation

Alphonse Mucha, whose paintings became popular not only in his homeland, but also in other countries, was able to achieve stunning success during his life. Having received his education in Brno, and then in Munich and Paris, the author began his creative career with illustrations in fashion magazines. Collaborating with many famous magazines and newspapers, such as People's Life, Figaro and Parisian Life, the artist developed his own unique style. There were also serious works at this time, such as “The History of Germany”. A turn in Mucha’s fate occurred in 1893, when he received a regular order from the Renaissance Theater for a poster for the play Gismonda. Sarah Bernhardt took part in the performance. The great actress was fascinated by the work. She wanted to meet the author of the poster personally. She also subsequently insisted that Alphonse become the chief decorator of the Renaissance Theater. So Mucha suddenly became one of the most popular artists in Paris. He began to write posters, posters, and postcards. His paintings began to decorate the most fashionable restaurants and ladies' boudoirs. During this period, the artist Mucha Alphonse painted the famous series of paintings “Seasons”, “Stars”, “Months”. Today, the master’s works are included in the collections of museums around the world, and in Prague there is a museum entirely dedicated to the work of the famous countryman.

The most famous series of paintings

Mucha painted several hundred paintings and posters throughout his life. Among the most famous works, a significant place is occupied by the famous series “Seasons”, “Flowers”, “Months”, “Precious Stones”, as well as the world-famous “Slavic Epic”. Let's consider the history of the author's writing.

"Slavic epic"

At the end of his life, the artist Mucha Alphonse plans to create a series of works about the history of the Slavic peoples. For the sake of his dream, the master goes to work in America, where he is forced to work hard, creating advertising posters and posters. Mucha collected ideas for future paintings while traveling through Slavic countries, including Russia. Work on “Epic” lasts 20 years. As a result, Alphonse painted 20 canvases measuring 6 by 8 meters. These paintings, filled with calm, wisdom and spirituality, are considered his best works. The paintings reveal the history of several nations at once. For example, the work “The Battle of Grunwald” tells us about the liberation of Lithuania and Poland, which survived the battle with the crusaders. Let us give a brief summary: Alphonse Mucha included in the plot real historical events that occurred in the 13th century in Europe. The work is filled with sorrow and worry about the fate of the Slavic peoples during difficult periods of bloody wars. In each of his paintings in the “Slavic Epic” series, the artist reflects faith in the bright future of his people. The most famous work from this series is considered to be the painting “The Apotheosis of Slavic History.” The canvas depicts four eras of the development of Slavic culture and history: the ancient world, the Middle Ages, the period of oppression and the bright future. All the skill and talent of the great artist was realized in the picture. The main goal of Mukha’s work is to help people understand each other and become closer. After completing the main work of his life, Alphonse donated the entire series of paintings to his beloved city of Prague. The work was completed in 1928, but since there was no place in Prague at that time to store and display such large-scale paintings, “The Slavic Epic” was first shown in the Fair Palace, and after the war it was placed in one of the Moravian castles. After the war, the works were put on public display only in 1963. To this day, residents and guests of the city can admire this gift of the famous master, whose name is Alphonse Mucha.

"Seasons"

At the end of the 19th century, the artist was actively working on illustrations for the fashionable Parisian magazine Kokoriko. On its pages for the first time appears a series of paintings made in gouache and pencil, called “12 months”. The works, distinguished by their unique style and originality, immediately appealed to readers. The drawings were images of graceful women with luxuriant hair and beautiful figures. All the ladies looked attractive and seductive. A mysterious and graceful woman, drowning in a sea of ​​flowers, has always been depicted in the very center of the work. The paintings were framed in elegant oriental style. In 1986, the author painted the decorative panel “The Seasons,” preserving the images of divine beauties. Now the work is done using gouache and ink, but the style remains the same. The paintings were released in limited editions, but sold out very quickly. The panels were printed on silk or thick paper and hung in living rooms, boudoirs and various restaurants. All drawings differed in mood and color scheme, which was carefully selected by Alphonse Mucha. Spring, for example, was depicted in pastel light pink colors. Summer - with bright green shades, autumn - rich orange, and winter - transparent-cold. At the same time, all the paintings are filled with charm, tenderness and tranquility.

Advertising posters

The artist painted his first advertising poster in 1882. He quickly realized that this was a very profitable business. True, the then unknown artist did not receive many orders. He painted posters for various theatrical productions. After gaining popularity (thanks to Sarah Bernhardt), he became one of the leading artists in Parisian advertising. The posters reflected the original “Mukha style” (named so later). The paintings were distinguished by their richness of colors and details. His compositions, usually depicting languid, luxurious girls, began to be published in fashion newspapers and magazines. “Women of the Fly” (as they are beginning to be called in Paris) sell thousands of copies in posters, calendars, playing cards, and advertising labels. The artist creates labels for matches, bicycles and champagne. There was simply no end to good orders, and now all of Paris would know who Alphonse Mucha was. The poster (the description of the painting “The Seasons” has already been presented above) is to the taste of the director of one of the famous publishing houses “Champenois”, and the artist enters into a lucrative contract with him. Later, working in America, the master continues to work on a series of advertising posters, earning money for his dream “Slavic Epic”. Until now, these works of the master are replicated all over the world in the form of fashionable art posters.

Alphonse Mucha Museum in Prague

It is the only official museum of the artist. It was opened in 1998 by the descendants of the famous master. The exhibitions presented in the halls tell about the life and work of the skilled painter. Visitors to the Alphonse Mucha Museum are introduced to a series of art posters created by the author at the end of the 19th century. The works reflect the elegance and beauty of female images, so beloved by the artist. Here you can also see the famous poster for the theatrical production of Gismond, which changed the life of the genius. It is from this painting that Mucha’s exclusive “style” begins, distinguishing his work from all his predecessors. Next, guests can enjoy the spirit of the “rebirth” of the Czech state in the form of stamps and banknotes, the designer of which was Alfons himself. A significant place in the museum is dedicated to the famous paintings of the “Slavic Epic”. Visitors will also learn details of the author’s personal life. The museum displays photographs of models and friends of the great artist, as well as sketches for his future works.

Conclusion

Alphonse Mucha gave birth to something new, becoming a role model for many famous artists at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. “Mukha Style”, expressive, spiritual and understandable to an inexperienced viewer, still remains popular among modern craftsmen and designers. You can feel the soul of the author in it, his piercing love for his homeland and an amazing sense of beauty. The bold sensuality of the author’s paintings delights, fascinates and surprises anyone who discovers this unique and mysterious “Mukha style”. All this makes the works of Alphonse Mucha a significant milestone in the history of world art.

July 24 marks the 156th anniversary of the birth of the world famous Czech artist, illustrator, jewelry designer, poster artist Alphonse Mucha. He is called one of the most famous representatives of the Art Nouveau style and the creator of his own unique style. “Women of the Fly” (images of seasons, time of day, flowers, etc. in female images) are known throughout the world for their open sensuality and captivating grace.