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Alphonse Mucha
1860-1939
Monrovian Painter and the Father of Art Nouveau
Cause of Death - Murdered, he died shortly after an "official questioning session" by the Gestapo in 1939. Damn those Nazis! Read more about the how the Nazis persecuted artists - Entartete Kunst
Alphonse Mucha Biography
Alphonse Mucha was born in the
tiny town of Ivancice, Moravia, in
the modern Czech Republic. Mucha started drawing before he was walking,
his early years were spent involved in Church activities. As a teenager
he fancied himself a amateur musician. His father hounded him into
seeking "upright" employment but Alphonse was miserable as a clerk in
the local township. Mucha was drawn to the promise of Paris and arrived
in 1887. Mucha was quite the social butterfly and started a traditional
artists ball, Bal des Quat'z Arts. His work is known for it's beautiful
and visionary spirit. Alphonse Mucha is known as the father of Art
Nouveau.
Alphonse
Mucha Inspirational Art Quotation
During a tropical heat I am thinking about how cold it is where you
are...It is beautiful here, quiet - woods of "wilderness". -- Alphonse
Mucha Quote
The Art Nouveau style is characterized by strong compositions, natural colors, sensuous curves derived from nature and graceful flowing lines. Reality and stylization are fully integrated throughout the entire composition. Heavily influenced by Japanese woodblock prints, the highly stylized organic, ornamental shapes and patterns quickly infused all aspects of design and later inspired the Art Deco movement.
Art Nouveau first appeared in the mid 1880s, lasting into the early 1900s. The style developed in Paris. Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt and Théophile Steinlen are most closely associated with the Art Nouveau style. Artists of this style emphasized intensely erotic themes as well as mythology and litrature. Favoring: Eve, flowers, butterflies, Lilith, serpents and nature motifs. Art Nouveau designs influenced jewelry, architectural design, wallpaper and furniture, posters, magazine and calendar illustration.
Masters of the Art Nouveau Style
Théophile Steinlen, Swiss, 1859-1923
Gustav Klimt, Austrian, 1862-1918
Aubrey Beardsley, British, 1872-1898
Alphonse Mucha, Czechoslovakian, 1860-1939
Antonio Gaudí, Spanish, 1852-1926
Hector Guimard, French, 1867-1942)
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, French, 1861-1901
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