Alfons Mucha

Alfons Mucha is a Czech Art Nouveau painter, illustrator and graphic designer, creator of the decorative style bearing his name and emblematic figure of Belle Époque aesthetics. Revealed to the public by his revolutionary poster for Gismonda with Sarah Bernhardt in 1894, he develops an immediately recognizable visual language characterized by elegant female figures with flowing hair, ornamental circular compositions, stylized floral motifs and a refined palette of harmonious pastels. His advertising posters and decorative panels - The Seasons, The Arts, posters for Job and Moët & Chandon - transform commercial art into works of art in their own right and define international Art Nouveau aesthetics. Beyond his Parisian success, he nurtures throughout his life a deep Slavic nationalist commitment, culminating in his monumental Slav Epic (1910-1928), cycle of twenty gigantic canvases celebrating the history and spirituality of Slavic peoples. Complete artist mastering poster, painting, decoration, illustration and design, he embodies the successful fusion between art and craftsmanship, beauty and utility, modernity and tradition, leaving a lasting imprint on graphic design and visual culture of the 20th century.