At the end of the nineteenth century, there was probably no greater way to gain international recognition as an artist -- or anything else for that matter -- than to be associated with the brilliant actress Sarah Bernhardt. Czechoslovakian painter Alphonse Mucha would get just that opportunity. As a struggling artist who had taken on design and illustration work in order to make some money, he was commissioned to create posters for the world-famous thespian. Mucha's first poster for Bernhardt, in which the actress portrays Gismonda, marked the beginning of their six-year business liason. Mucha transformed Bernhardt into a true fantasy figure -- in “Gismonda,” she appears as an otherworldly queen, attired in ornately stylized robes and set off by a jeweled background. Here was Mucha’s greatest talent: making mere mortals appear heavenly, golden, more beautiful than life.
Before he found fame working for Bernhardt, Mucha was an accomplished muralist, theater painter, interior decorator, and student of fine arts. In his late teens, he was even invited in 1883 to decorate the castle of the Austrian Count Khuen-Belassi. The Count, for whom he also designed a three-paneled screen, agreed to finance Mucha's studies at the Munich Academy of Arts from 1885 to 1887. In 1887 he moved his studies to Paris to be closer to the action, and it was here that he grew into one of the preeminent figures of Art Nouveau design.
Mucha's posters depict characters -- mostly women -- in both natural and abstracted form. The posters abound in intricately woven networks of curling, curving, flowing lines. Within an elaborate, dense composition of warm thick colors, the artist often offered a single, emotive figure. These women are highly stylized: their skin is flat and smooth, and their curling locks imitate the purely ornamental lines in the background. And the women are storytellers: his "Four Seasons" muses depict a natural cycle of rest and restoration, while "La Danse"'s playful figure entices viewers to join her in a carefree dance.
Because of his association with Bernhardt, Mucha's works were shown around the world. The artist even created the highly acclaimed Bosnia-Herzegovina pavilion for the prestigious 1900 Exposition Universalle et Internationale in Paris. From 1906 to 1910, the famous draughtsman lived in the United States where, among other things, he collaborated with Louis C. Tiffany to create jewelry. Mucha spent the later years of his life living in his native Prague while his extensive works continued to appear around the world.
He had a close association with Fouquet, and designed Fouquet's shop. You can see little pieces and details of his sculptural work in buildings all over Prague, I think.
