Alphonse Mucha
(Czech, 1860–1939)
Biography
Alphonse Mucha was a Czech artist known for his unique Art Nouveau illustrations and designs. Mucha’s style transformed the medium of poster design with its vertical orientation, tendril-like lines, and soft pastel colors. “The purpose of my work was never to destroy but always to create, to construct bridges,” he once said. Born on July 24, 1860 in Ivancice, Moravia (present-day Czech Republic), Mucha spent two years studying at the Academy of Art in Munich before moving to Paris in 1887. During his years in France, he shared a studio with Paul Gauguin and practiced occult ceremonies with the famed Swedish playwright August Strindberg. As his career progressed, the artist began receiving large commissions to create decorative panels for private homes. One such work, The Seasons (1896), exemplifies Mucha’s distinctive stylization of the female figure and natural motifs. After securing financial backing for a proposed suite of ambitious paintings he moved to Prague. Now back in his home country, the artist toiled over the The Slav Epic (1910–1928) for more than a decade. After the Nazi invasion of Prague in 1939, Mucha was deemed a reactionary and subsequently interrogated by the Gestapo while seriously ill. He died later that year, on July 14, 1939 at the age of 78. Today, the artist’s works are included in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, and The Museum of Modern Art in New York, among others
Most Expensive Artwork Sold at Auction
The abolition of serfdom in Russia (reduced version), 1920
Sold price: 1,472,000 USD
Alphonse Mucha Artworks
.jpg "Le Printemps (from Saisons), 1905")
.jpg "Las Ages de la vie calendrier (set of 4), 1902")
Alphonse Mucha
Las Ages de la vie calendrier (set of 4), 1902
Sale Date: June 22, 2012
Auction Closed
.jpg "L'Heur de jour (Éveil du matin, Eclat de..., 1899")
Alphonse Mucha
L'Heur de jour (Éveil du matin, Eclat de..., 1899
Sale Date: June 12, 2012
Auction Closed
.jpg "Gismonda, pl.27 (from Les Maîtres de l'Affiche)")
Alphonse Mucha
Gismonda, pl.27 (from Les Maîtres de l'Affiche)
Sale Date: May 25, 2012
Auction Closed
.jpg "Lorenzaccio, pl.114 (from Les Maîtres de...")
.jpg "La Dame aux camélias, pl.144 (from Les Maîtres...")
Alphonse Mucha
La Dame aux camélias, pl.144 (from Les Maîtres...
Sale Date: May 25, 2012
Auction Closed
.jpg "La Samaritaine, pl.166 (from Les Maîtres de...")
Alphonse Mucha
La Samaritaine, pl.166 (from Les Maîtres de...
Sale Date: May 25, 2012
Auction Closed
.jpg "Bières de la Meuse, pl.166 (from Les Maîtres de...")
Alphonse Mucha
Bières de la Meuse, pl.166 (from Les Maîtres de...
Sale Date: May 25, 2012
Auction Closed
.jpg "Cloches de Noël et de Pâques (bk by Emile...")
.jpg "L'Automne (from Les Quatre Saisons), 1900")
.jpg "Les Heures du Jour (4 works), 1899")
.jpg "Les Quatre Saisons (4 works on 1 sheet), 1897")
.jpg "Bières de la Meuse, pl.182 (from Les Maîtres , 1899")
Alphonse Mucha
Bières de la Meuse, pl.182 (from Les Maîtres , 1899
Sale Date: May 25, 2012
Auction Closed
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