ALPHONSE MUCHA
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Nationality : Moravian ( now Czech Republic)
Born : 1860 Died : 1939.
Movement : Art Nouveau.
BACKGROUND INFO:
Alphonse Mucha was born in the small town of Ivanice, Moravia (which is now in
the Czech Republic). Once he finished school his father decided he needed a
‘respectable’ job and secured him employment as a clerk, however Mucha decided to
go to Paris and become an artist and designer. He studied at the Academie Julian and
the Academie Colarossi, unfortunately he couldn’t pay his fees and bills so was forced
to leave and earn his living as an illustrator for various magazines and journals. He
struggled financially until he was asked to design a poster for the actress Sarah
Bernhart’s play, ‘Gismonda’. His design was a sensation and Sarah Bernhart was so
impressed she commissioned him to design all of her posters, sets, costumes and even
jewellery for the next six years. The public loved his work and ‘Le Style Mucha’ was
the talk of Paris. Mucha’s beautiful and sensuous designs have influenced many
people as he was one of the main designers of the ‘Art Nouveau’ Movement.
SOCIETY AND INFLUENCES.
Mucha worked in Paris around the same time as the Impressionist painters, and also
shared a studio with Gauguin for a while. This was a time when artists and designers
were beginning to use a lot of symbolism, fantasy and imagination in their work
instead of just creating straightforward, realistic representations. An earlier design
movement called ‘The Arts and Crafts Movement’ also influenced Mucha. The ‘Arts
and Crafts’ designers emphasised quality, craftsmanship, and decoration and did not
appreciate much of the mass-produced, purely functional items which were common
after the Industrial Revolution. In their opinion objects should be fit for their purpose
and also be beautifully decorated. Art Nouveau designers were inspired by their use of
nature as inspiration, but felt their work was too fussy and old fashioned – they
wanted to produce something new, more elegant and modern in style.
STYLE ;
‘Art Nouveau’ means ‘new art’ in French. This was an art movement which began
around the turn of the century and lasted until W.W.1.The characteristics of the style
include elongated natural forms, flowing lines and shapes, organic patterns and the
use of an idealised female figure, (which was Mucha’s favourite motif.) Mucha’s
designs were based on large, often life size, rectangular, compositions, combining
curving text with highly decorative imagery. Often his designs included glamorous
women who were draped in exotic fabric and jewellery, surrounded by colourful
flowers and patterns. His designs used rather sensual illustrations and were often
themed e.g. to illustrate the four seasons etc.
‘Four Seasons.’
‘Bieres de la Muse’
‘Job Cigarette Advert’
‘Moet & Chandon.’
‘Medee Poster’
ART NOUVEAU.
Alphonse Mucha was a member of the ‘Art Nouveau’ Art and Design movement,
please also read the attached information sheet.