ART NOUVEAU

(a style of decorative art, architecture, and design prominent in western Europe and the US from about 1890 until World War I. French for new art was an international art movement of style, decoration and architecture used during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

One characterization of this movement was depictions of flowers and vines, also called foliate forms. Many of these forms were used in mosaics.

Art Nouveau influence in Architecture

Art Nouveau-style Subway Entrances in Paris

Victor Horta, Hotel Tassel, 1890s.

Hotel Tassel (Victor Horta) 1st Art Nouveau Building in the World

Many beautiful posters and ads were also created by designers during the art nouveau period.

Famous Art Nouveau Artists

Alphonse Mucha Gustav Klimt Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Koloman Moser William Bradley

1860 - 1939

WHO IS ALPHONSE MUCHA

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Designer Illustrator An Artist

He mainly worked in the field of advertisement, and his work was used in a variety of ways. Mucha produced a flurry of paintings, posters, advertisements, and book illustrations, as well as designs for jewelry, carpets, wallpaper, postcard and theatre sets in what was termed initially The Mucha Style.

BIOGRAPHY

Alfonse Mucha / Alphonse Mucha was born on 24th July 1860 in the Czech Republic. He showed a big musical and graphic talent when he was a young boy. Thanks to his talent he had obtained referral to study high school in Brno where he could develop his gift. Mucha went to Germany where he started to study at a graphics school. He finished in Paris. Early on, he worked for a famous actress Sarah Bernhardt and her theatre in Paris. After nearly a lifetime of success in the world of advertisement, he finished off his life with The Slav Epic. He died on 14th July 1939.

IN WHAT PERIOD

Time Period: 18601939 which is in the same period as William Morris The Art Movement during this period is ART NOUVEAU

WHERE & HOW

Czech painter Alphonse Maria Mucha leapt to fame in Paris in 1895 when his poster Gismonda (1894) for the superstar Sarah Bernhardt heralded the birth of the distinctive Style Mucha and established him as the pre-eminent exponent of French Art Nouveau

Mucha's works frequently featured beautiful young women in flowing, vaguely Neoclassical-looking robes, often surrounded by lush flowers which sometimes formed halos behind their heads. In contrast with contemporary poster makers he used pale pastel colors.

Mucha used lithography as the printing technique for his posters. The posters are usually signed in the block. Some of his posters were produced as sets like The Four Seasons. Complete sets count among the most searched for of his works.

In 1890 the artist had his first one man show in Paris with 448 works

on display. His art work was not confined to the printing media. He
designed tissues, stamps and even bank bills.

DESIGN AND PHILOSOPHY

Does not believe that hes apart of the Art Nouveau movement. Art is eternal. He had a taste for female figures in theatrical poses, flamboyant curving lines, floral motifs and delicate interwoven designs. Most of his artwork is in a form of portrait, where 70% of the printing were covered by the figure of a woman. Other character of Alphonse Mucha artworks that were clearly shows are the plant and wave lines, Decorative art ,the warm colors used and also textures.

WHY?

Why does Alphonse Mucha featured beautiful women in most of his artwork in that period?

It was some kind of advertising poster for a play / teather. Alphonse Mucha describe them as symbols posed of nature's wealth of beauty.

Analysis
Title: Zodiac View: Full View

Creation Start Date: 1896

Creation End Date: 1896 Creation Date: 1896 Object Type: Prints

Materials and Techniques: Lithograph (proof

before letters) in eleven colors: pink, light red, carmine red, beige, turquoise, brownish violet, ocher, dark brown, gray olive, silver, gold; on

satin
Dimensions: 24 7/8 x 18 1/2 in. (63.18 x 46.99 cm)

Title: The Four Seasons Creation Date: 1896 Object Type: Prints Materials and Techniques: Lithograph (proof before letters) in eleven colors: pink, light red, carmine red, beige, turquoise, brownish violet, ocher, dark brown, gray olive, silver, gold; on satin Dimensions: 24 7/8 x 18 1/2 in. (63.18 x 46.99 cm)

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