Alphonse Mucha Illustrations
Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) was a Czech painter best known for his richly textured and exquisitely detailed illustrations of women. He was the father of the Art Nouveau style and has influenced countless painters since. Mucha's art career started in his teens when he painted backgound scenery for theaters in the Czech Republic and Austria. Later, as a self-taught freelance portrait artist, Mucha gained favor with a wealthy count who was so impressed with his work that he offered to pay for Mucha's formal training at elite art schools.
Mucha's career took off as he was commissioned to illustrate poster advertisements for cultural events and plays. Some of Mucha's most recognizeable prints are advertisements for alcohol and decadent foods. In his independent work, he had a penchant for creating decorative panels in sets of four--maidens as emblems of the four seasons, four parts of the day, four flowers, etc.
Between 1910 and 1928, Mucha created what he considered his greatest achievement, The Slav Epic, a series of 20 panels depicting the history of Slavic peoples. The complete collection is housed in the castle of Moravský Krumlov, southeast of Prague. (Images courtesy of Allposters.com.)
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