“The purpose of my work was never to destroy but always to create, to construct bridges, because we must live in the hope that humankind will draw together and that the better we understand each other the easier this will become.” -Alphonse Mucha
One of my favorite of Mucha’s works is located in the Prague Castle, on a stained glass window inside the St. Vitus Cathedral (above).
Alphonse Mucha (Alfons Mucha, said Al-fons Moo-ha) is an artist you may not have heard of, but it’s likely you’ve seen his work. Mucha lived and painted in Paris at the turn of the century 1900s in the Art Nouveau style, but he was from Czechoslovakia. He was prolific with his lithographs for commercial art.
I’m continuing a series on art and artists I saw while I lived in Europe. I loved getting to tour the Mucha Museum in Prague, Czech Republic, with a group of friends. The museum is located at the Kaunický palác Panská 7, 110 00 Prague 1. {All photos related to Mucha’s work in this post, other than the St. Vitus stained glass photo, have been found under public domain at Wikimedia Commons.org (free media) because inside the Mucha Museum, photography is not allowed.}
Mucha gained initial success for designing a poster for the 1894 play called Gismonda, which starred the most famous Parisian actress at the time, Sara Bernhardt.
A few of my favorite Mucha pieces remind me of antique soap boxes and other advertising I saw at my relatives’ homes when I was a child.
Do you remember seeing any of Mucha’s work? What do you recognize his work from?
When I had my design studio, I sold many reproduction posters and prints of his art. I don’t remember the name of the piece, but there was one of a woman with a bird that I particularly loved.
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I love that you’ve sold Mucha’s work at your studio — I didn’t know. How fun! I think I remember that painting, in his Seasons series, of a woman holding a small bird close to her face. It’s magnificent. Thank you for sharing, Beth!
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