Alphonse Mucha
Alfons Maria Mucha (Czech: [ˈalfons ˈmuxa] ⓘ; 24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), known internationally as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech painter, illustrator, and graphic artist. Living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, he was widely known for his distinctly stylized and decorative theatrical posters, particularly those of Sarah Bernhardt. He produced illustrations, advertisements, decorative panels, as well as designs, which became among the best-known images of the period.
Alphonse Mucha | |
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Mucha in his studio (c. 1899) | |
| Born | Alfons Maria Mucha 24 July 1860 |
| Died | 14 July 1939 (aged 78) |
| Education | Munich Academy of Fine Arts Académie Julian Académie Colarossi |
| Known for | Painting, illustration, decorative art, architecture |
| Notable work | The Slav Epic (Slovanská epopej) |
| Movement | Art Nouveau |
| Awards | Legion of Honor (France), Knight of the Order of Franz Joseph I (Austria) |
| Signature | |
In the second part of his career, at the age of 57, he returned to his homeland and devoted himself to a series of twenty monumental symbolist canvases known as The Slav Epic, depicting the history of all the Slavic peoples of the world, which he painted between 1912 and 1926. In 1928, on the 10th anniversary of the independence of Czechoslovakia, he presented the series to the Czech nation. He considered it his most important work.