Why is the name Mucha associated with Art Nouveau?
A NEW AESTHETIC
Art Nouveau was born at the end of the 19th century, in Belgium and France, then spread throughout Europe and even in the United States. It flourished in architecture and in the decorative arts: goldsmithing, glassmaking, stained glass, ceramics, jewellery, graphic arts, etc. A pure product of Belle-Époque, meeting the public's taste by offering a real aesthetic universe.
Alphonse Mucha, as the immersive exhibition reveals, is the most famous representative artist of this new aesthetic. It is true that he shares many of its features: a taste for ornament, for the arabesque, an interest in forms inspired by nature... The plasticity of this movement where the curve dominates, becomes the stylistic signature of Mucha.
THE INVENTION OF THE MUCHA STYLE
Contemplating the magic of these voluptuous arabesques that bloom on the walls of the Grand Palais Immersif, you grasp the essence of the Mucha style. Its sensual female figures, sinuous lines, and flowery decorative patterns drawn in soft colours are what made it so famous.
But if the Mucha style remains so singular and timeless, it is because the artist associated in his creations the stylistic elements of Art Nouveau with other influences, such as the thousand-year-old tradition of sacred art.
As a child, he was fascinated by church decorations and ostentatious religious ceremonies, therefore he transcribed this taste for ornament in his posters. The neo-Gothic or even baroque posture of his female figures, the halo-shaped circle that recurs like a leitmotif in his works and the mosaic surfaces in the Byzantine tradition are inspired by religious art.
A WIND OF MODERNITY
After decades of oblivion, Alphonse Mucha was rediscovered and honored judging by his early work that truly contributed to the birth and development of new artistic fields: he paved the way for the arts of the Modern Age!
By creating decorative imaginary worlds, he was able to elevate utilitarian art and posters to the Fine Arts. The exhibition "Eternal Mucha" reveals the influences of Mucha that nourished his unique style and the influence of this singular aesthetic even in the art of tattooing or the vogue for manga!
Exhibition co-produced by Grand Palais Immersif (subsidiary of the Rmn - Grand Palais) and the Mucha Foundation, Prague.
