One of art’s great stylistic innovators, Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) created some of the most instantly recognisable and best-loved works in modern European art. In seductive, sinuous compositions, he developed a new language that defined the look of late 19th-century Paris to be the very spirit of art nouveau.

This publication marks the exhibition realised by the Mucha Foundation, Prague, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. It contextualises Mucha’s practice of painting, illustration, jewellery design and interior decoration, alongside his photographs, to reveal an artist and designer whose powerful influence remains with us today.

Seeking a true ‘art for the people’, Mucha – as artist, activist, mystic and philosopher – strove to elevate the human spirit. His strongly felt political and spiritual philosophies guided his lifelong commitment to the Slavic peoples and the liberation of his homeland in today’s Czech Republic.

The sweeping exhibition of over 200 treasures from the Mucha Family Collection showcased in this publication takes visitors on a journey to uncover the artist behind the famous images.

Author: Tomoko Sato
Paperback
160 pages
22 x 27 cm