Description of the painting and the fly poster. Czech artist Alphonse Mucha and his paintings

The work of the Polish artist of the first half of the twentieth century, unfortunately, is little known in our time. Although the originality and originality of his talent found many fans all over the world. No one will remain indifferent while admiring the series of paintings “Flowers”, “Seasons”, “Slavic Virgins”, “Months”, in which the artist glorifies female beauty, the beauty of nature and acts as an expert on folk traditions and rituals.

Biography of Alphonse Mucha

Alfons was born in Moravia in the small provincial town of Ivančice in 1860. It was the end of the 19th century that left its mark on all of his work; even in the middle of the 20th century, he did not lose his poetry and dreaminess, trying in a stormy, turbulent time to reflect the soul of the people in his works.

His father Ondzhej, a tailor by profession, a poor man, remained a widower with several children and entered into a second marriage (most likely for convenience) with the daughter of a wealthy miller Amalia, who later became the mother of a famous artist.

Amalia died early, but Ondjei was the best of fathers for his large family and all his children, even girls, which was surprising at that time, received secondary education.

Alfons studied at the Slavic Gymnasium in the small Polish city of Brno until he was 17, and then his father managed to get the young man into the Academy of Arts in Prague. So Alphonse became a student, but it must be said that he was far from the best of students. He shamelessly skipped classes, including the Law of God, which was considered unacceptable, and received excellent marks only in drawing and singing.

The student was soon expelled from the Academy due to “any lack of talent for art” and became a clerk in the city court of Ivanichitsa. Two years later, having accidentally stumbled upon an advertisement for a vacancy for a decorator in a Viennese company that produces theatrical props, he gets a job there as a set designer. But in 1881 the company went bankrupt, and Alphonse was again left out of business.

Thanks to his father’s efforts, he moves to the southern city of Mikulov, where he does whatever he needs: he draws a little theatrical scenery, does miniatures, portraits, posters, and sometimes, for lack of other work, paints.

And then the artist was lucky: he was asked to paint the castle of Count Kuen of Grushovanov, where he painted the ceilings in the then accepted style of the Italian Renaissance. After this, he was sent to the count's brother at Gandegg Castle in distant Tyrol. Here he not only painted the rooms, but also painted a portrait of the countess and the entire family. In his free time, which was rare, the artist managed to get out into nature, where he avidly drew from life.

The Viennese painting professor Kray comes to visit the count; he becomes interested in the works of the young artist and convinces him to continue his education. The satisfied count acts as a patron of Alphonse and sends him at his own expense to the Academy of Art of the city of Munich. So, in 1885 the artist continued his professional education. Two years later he transferred to the Academy of Arts in Paris, and immediately into the third year.

This is the best time in his studies, but it will soon end: the count stopped paying the scholarship, and the young man had to rely only on his own strength. In some of his memoirs, Alphonse Mucha hints at periods of hardship and adversity, but already in 1991 he established strong ties with the publisher Armand Collin, and also wrote posters for plays starring Sarah Bernhardt. The great actress liked the works of the young artist so much that she entered into a six-year contract with him for all new works.

Thus, Alphonse enters a period of prosperity and fame: exhibitions of his works are held with great excitement in many major European cities, and changeable Fortune finally knocked on the artist’s door.

Slavic Epic

Nowadays, it is believed that the works of this cycle are the artist’s most valuable investment in the treasury of world art. Much later, in the “Parisian period,” Alphonse Mucha revived and multiplied his successful discoveries and gave us new creations.

Love for the Motherland, its nature, its history and its traditions is an integral part of the work of a true artist. Therefore, already as a mature creator, Alphonse Mucha plans to create a series of paintings dedicated to the history of the Slavs. This idea was not born at one moment; he nurtured it for a long time, traveling through Slavic countries, including Russia. Work on the epic, which brought the artist worldwide fame, lasted 20 years, and twenty huge canvases were painted depicting the culminating moments of history.

All the artist’s works are extremely optimistic - they carry a huge charge of faith in their country and its people. He donated the entire collection of paintings to his beloved city of Prague. In 1963, after the death of the artist, the public gained access to the entire collection of paintings and to this day admire the amazing gift of a true patriot, Alphonse Mucha.

Love in the life of an artist

It is in Paris that Mucha meets his love, his muse - the Czech girl Maria Chytilova. In 1906, they got married, although Maria is twenty years younger than Alphonse, but she sincerely loves him and admires his work.

For Alphonse, this young girl became, as he himself said, his second love after his Motherland. Together with her, he moves to live in America, with which he signed lucrative contracts for a series of works. The artist’s children were born here, but dreams of a distant homeland never left him, and in 1910 Alphonse’s family returned to Moravia.

The last period of creativity

In 1928, after finishing work on the Slavic Epic, Mucha worked on creating the official banknotes of independent Czechoslovakia and a collection of stamps. All his life, the artist never tired of learning new things, searching for himself and striving for self-expression; all his endeavors were “doomed to success”, thanks to his original talent and tireless work.

With the coming to power of the fascists and the propaganda of racist theories, interest in Mucha's work declines. He is declared a pan-Slavist, his patriotism runs counter to the propaganda of racism, and paintings glorifying the beauty of his native nature do not fit into the propaganda of violence and cruelty.

The artist was declared an enemy of the Third Reich and imprisoned. Although he was soon released, his health was undermined, and in 1939 Alphonse Mucha died. Before his death, the artist managed to publish his memoirs, and according to his will, he was buried in the Czech Republic at the Visegrad cemetery.

Unfairly forgotten

The only Alphonse Mucha museum is open in Prague. On the initiative of his children and grandchildren, it was opened in 1998. It is here that you can see the poster for the play “Gismonda” that changed the master’s life. The museum houses exhibits that accompany the artist’s life and illuminate his work.

Many of the objects exhibited here were donated to the museum by the artist’s family, from which you can learn about his personal life and character, habits and family relationships.

Alphonse Mucha loved to draw since childhood, but his attempt to enter the Prague Academy of Arts was unsuccessful. Therefore, he began his creative career as a decorator, poster and invitation card artist. He also did not refuse to paint walls and ceilings in rich houses.

Once Alphonse Mucha worked on decorating the ancestral castle of Count Kuen-Belassi, and he was so impressed by the artist’s work that he agreed to pay for his studies at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. There he mastered the technique of lithography, which later became his calling card.

After studying in Munich, he moved to Paris, where he studied at the Colarossi Academy and made a living making advertising posters, posters, restaurant menus, calendars and business cards.

The artist’s meeting with actress Sarah Bernhardt was fateful. When the actress saw the poster, made using the technique of multicolor lithography, she was delighted and wanted to see the author. On her recommendation, Mukha received the position of chief decorator of the theater and has since designed posters, costumes and scenery for her performances.

In Russia, the name of the famous Czech artist Alphonse Mucha is little known. Meanwhile, it literally became a symbol of painting from the end of the “golden” - the beginning of the “silver” centuries. His style (in painting, architecture, small decorative forms) was called the “Mukha style.” Or – “modern”, “jugendstil”, “secession”. The name came from France. And the artist himself is sometimes considered French in Europe. But that's not true.

Alphonse Mucha is an outstanding Czech artist, master of theater and advertising posters. One of the brightest artists of the Art Nouveau style.

Luxurious and sensual “Mukha women” were replicated and sold in thousands of copies in posters, postcards, and playing cards. The offices of secular aesthetes, the halls of the best restaurants, and ladies' boudoirs were decorated with silk panels, calendars and prints by the master. In the same style, colorful graphic series “Seasons”, “Flowers”, “Trees”, “Months”, “Stars”, “Arts”, “Precious Stones” were created, which are still reproduced in the form of art posters.

In 1898-1899, Alphonse Mucha worked on covers and illustrations for the Parisian magazine Cocorico. On its pages was printed and executed in pencil and gouache the cycle “12 months” - images of female figures, sometimes naked, as well as graceful ladies’ heads. The women in his lithographs are attractive and, as they would say now, sexy.

At the turn of the century, Alphonse Mucha became a real master, to whom the artistic community listened attentively. Sometimes even the Art Nouveau style in France was called the Mucha style. Therefore, it seems natural that the artist’s book “Decorative Documentation” was published in 1901.

This is a visual guide for artists, on the pages of which a variety of ornamental patterns, fonts, drawings of furniture, various utensils, cutlery sets, jewelry, watches, combs, and brooches are reproduced.

The original technique is lithography, gouache, pencil and charcoal drawing. Many of the artist’s works were subsequently made in metal and wood, for example, gold brooches and a necklace with portraits of Sarah Bernhardt, intended for the actress herself.

In 1906, Alphonse Mucha left for America to earn the money necessary to fulfill the dream of his entire creative life: creating paintings for the glory of his Motherland and all Slavs.

Despite creative and financial success in the USA, American life weighed on Mucha with its focus solely on money; he dreamed of returning to the Czech Republic. In 1910 he returned to Prague and focused all his efforts on the “Slavic Epic”. This monumental cycle was donated by him to the Czech people and the city of Prague, but was not a success among art critics.

All of Mucha’s works are distinguished by their own unique style. The figure of a beautiful and girlishly graceful woman, freely but inextricably inscribed in an ornamental system of flowers and leaves, symbols and arabesques, became his trademark.

The center of the composition, as a rule, is a young healthy woman of Slavic appearance in loose clothes, with a luxurious crown of hair, drowning in a sea of ​​flowers - sometimes languidly captivating, sometimes mysterious, sometimes graceful, sometimes unapproachably fatal, but always charming and pretty.

Alphonse Mucha's paintings are framed by intricate floral patterns that do not hide their Byzantine or Oriental origin. In contrast to the disturbing paintings of his contemporary masters - Klimt, Vrubel, Bakst - the works of Alphonse Mucha breathe calm and bliss. The Art Nouveau style in Mukha’s work is the style of women and flowers.

The open sensuality of Mucha’s works still fascinates viewers, despite the fact that each era creates its own new forms of the erotic ideal. All critics note the “singing” lines in Mukha’s paintings and the exquisite coloring, warm, like a woman’s body.

A lot of jewelry based on Mukha’s sketches was made for the bride and then the artist’s wife, Maria Khitilova, whom the artist and his friends called Marushka. Khitilova was Mukha's compatriot. They got married in 1903 and lived together all their lives.

Maria was 22 years younger than the artist and outlived him by about the same amount. There was no material calculation in her feelings for the artist, because at the time of their wedding, Alphonse Mucha’s debts far exceeded his net worth.

Maria Chytilová became Mukha’s constant model, and her features are easily discernible in many paintings. Their marriage produced two daughters, who, when they grew up, also became characters in many of the artist’s paintings. The red-haired Slavic beauties in the paintings of Alphonse Mucha were dictated precisely by the images of the artist’s wife and his daughters - they all had this type of appearance.

Many of the visual elements of his work can be found in the works of modern designers, illustrators and advertising artists. Mucha worshiped the ideal of artistic versatility. He was not only a painter and graphic artist. Mucha knew how to do something that few others could do: he brought beauty into everyday life, made him look at the secondary art of posters, playbills and the design of various goods in a new way.

The artist created not only real paintings, but also made simple things that surround us into works of art. Being a typical embodiment of artistic searches at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, the “Mukha style” became a model for a whole generation of graphic artists and designers. And today we imagine the Art Nouveau style through the works of Alphonse Mucha, without knowing the name of the artist.

We remember not so much his name as his works, which continue to be popular both among museum visitors and designers.

Mucha expressed the Art Nouveau style in clear, distinct and expressive forms, easily remembered even by an inexperienced viewer. The purity of expression of style makes the work of Alphonse Mucha a unique phenomenon in history

The artist died on July 14, 1939 - exactly 4 months after the occupation of the Czech Republic and Moravia by Nazi troops and 10 days before his seventy-ninth birthday.

Nowadays, there is a museum in Prague dedicated to the artist’s work. There you can also find a lot of souvenirs with images of paintings and illustrations by Alphonse Mucha.

"Slavic epic"

July 24 marks the 156th anniversary of the birth of the world famous Czech artist, illustrator, jewelry designer, poster artist Alphonse Mucha. He is called one of the most famous representatives of the Art Nouveau style and the creator of his own unique style. “Women of the Fly” (images of seasons, time of day, flowers, etc. in female images) are known throughout the world for their open sensuality and captivating grace.

Alphonse Mucha, a Czech artist whose name has become a symbol of the Golden Age of painting in the West, is practically unknown in our country. Meanwhile, the talented master left a deep mark on the history of art, introducing his own unique style, which is still called the “Mukha style.” What is the secret and tragedy of the fate of the famous artist? This is what our article is about.

Biography

Alphonse Mucha was born in 1860 in the town of Ivančice (Moravia). His father was a court official, and his mother was the daughter of a wealthy miller. Since childhood, the boy showed his creative inclinations, becoming interested in singing. Already at school age he began to draw, and after graduating from high school he decided to enter the Academy of Arts in Prague. He failed his exams, so he had to look for a job. The father gets his son a job as a clerk in court, and in his free time Alphonse Mucha works part-time in the theater. He tries himself as an actor, and then as a poster decorator. It was a time of creative wandering and self-searching. For some time he works as a scenery designer for the theater, and then he is invited to paint the walls of the castle of Count Kuen-Belassi. The Count, admiring the artist's talent, agrees to pay for his education at the Munich Academy of Arts.

Confession

After training, Alphonse Mucha moved to Paris. However, by this time his patron dies, and the artist is left without a livelihood. To do what you love, you need expensive paints, brushes and paper. To feed themselves, the future celebrity is forced to earn a living by making posters, posters, invitations and calendars. But fate is favorable to the genius. One such poster radically changes Alphonse’s life. the famous actress, for whose representation Mukha wrote an order, recommends him as the chief decorator of the Renaissance Theater. The artist instantly becomes famous. There was no end to orders for posters and advertising posters for various products. At the same time, Alphonse Mucha began to paint original paintings and organize personal exhibitions in Paris.

Love

New moments in life are associated with Paris. Here, at the National Theater, Mucha meets a young Czech woman, Maria Chytilova. A girl who is 20 years younger falls in love with the artist and arranges a meeting with him. Maria becomes a new muse for Alphonse, the second love in life, as he himself noted, after his homeland. In 1906, the master married Maria. Later they have two daughters and a son. At the same time, Mucha moved to the United States at the invitation of the American Society of Illustrators, where he continued to work until 1910. Here he receives several orders for portraits, and also lectures at New York University. But dreams of his homeland do not leave the artist, and soon he returns to the Czech Republic.

Last tribute to the homeland

After returning to Prague, Alphonse Mucha, whose paintings become known throughout the world, begins his most ambitious work. He plans to paint monumental canvases on which he depicts the history of the Slavic peoples. In 1928, the author finished the “Slavic Epic” and gave it to his native Prague. Mucha’s work on the creation of official banknotes and stamps of independent Czechoslovakia dates back to the same period. Throughout his life, Alfons never stops learning and improving his artistic talent.

Forgotten genius

After the 30s, interest in the work of the fly begins to decline, and by the beginning of the 2nd World War he was even included in the list of enemies of the Third Reich. He was imprisoned on suspicion of promoting anti-fascist and nationalist sentiments. After a series of arrests and interrogations in 1939, Alphonse dies of pneumonia, having managed to publish his memoirs in 1939. Mucha was buried in the Czech Republic at the Visegrad cemetery.

Family

Mucha lived a long and fruitful life, leaving behind talented descendants. Maria, the master's student and wife, survived her husband by 20 years. Jiri, the artist’s son, became a famous journalist, and the master’s daughters and grandchildren inherited his creative abilities. Thus, Mukha’s granddaughter Jarmila, who is still alive, created a project to create decorative items based on her grandfather’s sketches.

Creation

Alphonse Mucha, whose paintings became popular not only in his homeland, but also in other countries, was able to achieve stunning success during his life. Having received his education in Brno, and then in Munich and Paris, the author began his creative career with illustrations in fashion magazines. Collaborating with many famous magazines and newspapers, such as People's Life, Figaro and Parisian Life, the artist developed his own unique style. There were also serious works at this time, such as “The History of Germany”. A turn in Mucha’s fate occurred in 1893, when he received a regular order from the Renaissance Theater for a poster for the play Gismonda. Sarah Bernhardt took part in the performance. The great actress was fascinated by the work. She wanted to meet the author of the poster personally. She also subsequently insisted that Alphonse become the chief decorator of the Renaissance Theater. So Mucha suddenly became one of the most popular artists in Paris. He began to write posters, posters, and postcards. His paintings began to decorate the most fashionable restaurants and ladies' boudoirs. During this period, the artist Mucha Alphonse painted the famous series of paintings “Seasons”, “Stars”, “Months”. Today, the master’s works are included in the collections of museums around the world, and in Prague there is a museum entirely dedicated to the work of the famous countryman.

The most famous series of paintings

Mucha painted several hundred paintings and posters throughout his life. Among the most famous works, a significant place is occupied by the famous series “Seasons”, “Flowers”, “Months”, “Precious Stones”, as well as the world-famous “Slavic Epic”. Let's consider the history of the author's writing.

"Slavic epic"

At the end of his life, the artist Mucha Alphonse plans to create a series of works about the history of the Slavic peoples. For the sake of his dream, the master goes to work in America, where he is forced to work hard, creating advertising posters and posters. Mucha collected ideas for future paintings while traveling through Slavic countries, including Russia. Work on “Epic” lasts 20 years. As a result, Alphonse painted 20 canvases measuring 6 by 8 meters. These paintings, filled with calm, wisdom and spirituality, are considered his best works. The paintings reveal the history of several nations at once. For example, the work “The Battle of Grunwald” tells us about the liberation of Lithuania and Poland, which survived the battle with the crusaders. Let us give a brief summary: Alphonse Mucha included in the plot real historical events that occurred in the 13th century in Europe. The work is filled with sorrow and worry about the fate of the Slavic peoples during difficult periods of bloody wars. In each of his paintings in the “Slavic Epic” series, the artist reflects faith in the bright future of his people. The most famous work from this series is considered to be the painting “The Apotheosis of Slavic History.” The canvas depicts four eras of the development of Slavic culture and history: the ancient world, the Middle Ages, the period of oppression and the bright future. All the skill and talent of the great artist was realized in the picture. The main goal of Mukha’s work is to help people understand each other and become closer. After completing the main work of his life, Alphonse donated the entire series of paintings to his beloved city of Prague. The work was completed in 1928, but since there was no place in Prague at that time to store and display such large-scale paintings, “The Slavic Epic” was first shown in the Fair Palace, and after the war it was placed in one of the Moravian castles. After the war, the works were put on public display only in 1963. To this day, residents and guests of the city can admire this gift of the famous master, whose name is Alphonse Mucha.

"Seasons"

At the end of the 19th century, the artist was actively working on illustrations for the fashionable Parisian magazine Kokoriko. On its pages for the first time appears a series of paintings made in gouache and pencil, called “12 months”. The works, distinguished by their unique style and originality, immediately appealed to readers. The drawings were images of graceful women with luxuriant hair and beautiful figures. All the ladies looked attractive and seductive. A mysterious and graceful woman, drowning in a sea of ​​flowers, has always been depicted in the very center of the work. The paintings were framed in elegant oriental style. In 1986, the author painted the decorative panel “The Seasons,” preserving the images of divine beauties. Now the work is done using gouache and ink, but the style remains the same. The paintings were released in limited editions, but sold out very quickly. The panels were printed on silk or thick paper and hung in living rooms, boudoirs and various restaurants. All drawings differed in mood and color scheme, which was carefully selected by Alphonse Mucha. Spring, for example, was depicted in pastel light pink colors. Summer - with bright green shades, autumn - rich orange, and winter - transparent-cold. At the same time, all the paintings are filled with charm, tenderness and tranquility.

Advertising posters

The artist painted his first advertising poster in 1882. He quickly realized that this was a very profitable business. True, the then unknown artist did not receive many orders. He painted posters for various theatrical productions. After gaining popularity (thanks to Sarah Bernhardt), he became one of the leading artists in Parisian advertising. The posters reflected the original “Mukha style” (named so later). The paintings were distinguished by their richness of colors and details. His compositions, usually depicting languid, luxurious girls, began to be published in fashion newspapers and magazines. “Women of the Fly” (as they are beginning to be called in Paris) sell thousands of copies in posters, calendars, playing cards, and advertising labels. The artist creates labels for matches, bicycles and champagne. There was simply no end to good orders, and now all of Paris would know who Alphonse Mucha was. The poster (the description of the painting “The Seasons” has already been presented above) is to the taste of the director of one of the famous publishing houses “Champenois”, and the artist enters into a lucrative contract with him. Later, working in America, the master continues to work on a series of advertising posters, earning money for his dream “Slavic Epic”. Until now, these works of the master are replicated all over the world in the form of fashionable art posters.

Alphonse Mucha Museum in Prague

It is the only official museum of the artist. It was opened in 1998 by the descendants of the famous master. The exhibitions presented in the halls tell about the life and work of the skilled painter. Visitors to the Alphonse Mucha Museum are introduced to a series of art posters created by the author at the end of the 19th century. The works reflect the elegance and beauty of female images, so beloved by the artist. Here you can also see the famous poster for the theatrical production of Gismond, which changed the life of the genius. It is from this painting that Mucha’s exclusive “style” begins, distinguishing his work from all his predecessors. Next, guests can enjoy the spirit of the “rebirth” of the Czech state in the form of stamps and banknotes, the designer of which was Alfons himself. A significant place in the museum is dedicated to the famous paintings of the “Slavic Epic”. Visitors will also learn details of the author’s personal life. The museum displays photographs of models and friends of the great artist, as well as sketches for his future works.

Conclusion

Alphonse Mucha gave birth to something new, becoming a role model for many famous artists at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. “Mukha Style”, expressive, spiritual and understandable to an inexperienced viewer, still remains popular among modern craftsmen and designers. You can feel the soul of the author in it, his piercing love for his homeland and an amazing sense of beauty. The bold sensuality of the author’s paintings delights, fascinates and surprises anyone who discovers this unique and mysterious “Mukha style”. All this makes the works of Alphonse Mucha a significant milestone in the history of world art.