Alphonse Mucha Pioneer of Advertising

Mucha arrived in Paris in 1887. He was fortunate to be supported by a wealthy patron, and he was to enjoy this support for a further three years. With the withdrawal of the Count’s support, however, leaner times loomed. Mucha learnt to survive on a diet of lentils and beans and began to eke out a l iving by providing illustrations for various magazines and books. Once started, he was soon able to establish himself as a successful and reliable illustrator.

But on St. Stephen’s Day (December 26th) in 1894, fate singled Mucha out again. He was doing a favour for a friend, correcting proofs at Lemercier’s printing works, when Sarah Bernhardt, the star of the Parisian stage, called de Brunhoff, the printer’s agent, with an immediate demand for a new poster for her production of Gismonda. All the regular Lemercier artists were on holiday, so de Brunhoff turned to Mucha in desperation. A demand from ‘la divine Sarah’ could not be ignored.

Gismonda, the poster which Mucha created, was to revolutionise poster design. The long narrow shape, the subtle pastel colours, and the ‘halo’ effect around the subject’s head were to remain features of Mucha’s posters throughout his life. Most importantly, these elements combined with the stillness of the near life-size figure to introduce a note of dignity and sobriety to what had been up to then garish street art, qualities which were quite startling in their novelty. The effect created was astonishing, and the poster was so popular with the Parisian public that collectors bribed bill stickers to obtain them or simply went out at night and, using razors, cut them down from the hoardings.

Sarah Bernhardt was delighted and immediately offered Mucha a five-year contract to produce stage and costume designs and posters. At the same time, he signed an exclusive contract with the printer Champenois to produce commercial and decorative posters. With Gismonda, ‘le style Mucha’ was launched. Mucha was established as the preeminent exponent of Parisian Art Nouveau.

La Peinture

Alphonse Mucha MCH007

Fruit

Alphonse Mucha MCH003