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4 minute read
Antique hunting with...Roo Irvine
Mucha clue about something
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Slovane v pravlasti
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Often, true beauty is only discovered when one stops to truly appreciate it. Whether it’s a sunset, a full moon, spring daffodils or the curve of a lover’s smile.
Life has become so hectic that such fleeting moments often fade into the background. Like the wallpaper in our own homes we might struggle to describe it in detail if really pushed. Sometimes it takes an unprecedented situation to focus our attention and search out the beauty that surrounds us unnoticed everyday.
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Alfons Mucha
One artist that epitomised overlooked beauty better than most is Alphonse Mucha. His pre-Raphaelite goddesses, with their flowing hair, bear an uncanny similarity to the style of our own Charles Rennie Mackintosh. There is a wonderful flair of joie de vivre that seeps from every brush stroke made by this Czech illustrator.
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Mucha Moravian Teachers' Choir 1911
Ironically, Mucha didn’t like the concept of Art Nouveau even though is work remains inextricably linked with the style. Many parallels are drawn between Mackintosh and Mucha. There are striking similarities between the symbolism incorporated by both artists, such as the birds used to symbolise the beauty of music in their artwork.
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Alfons Mucha, 1896, Biscuits Champagne Lefèvre-Utile
Mackintosh and Mucha were also very patriotic, encompassing emblems of their home countries in their work. Mackintosh used the thistle in his “Scottish Musical Review Poster” while Mucha featured an embroidered folk cap, thorns, daisy crown and a heart to showcase his love for the Czech republic.
Both artists are known for their stylisation of botanical elements. Mucha’s work often features flowers and plants while Mackintosh’s distinctive rose emblem is instantly recognisable around the world.
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Alfons Mucha, Monaco Monte Carlo
International influences also bring elements of Japan into both artists’ work in terms of the lines and woodcuts. Each artist was individually influenced by the French Art Nouveau style, especially when it came to featuring females whose natural curves and lines were often elongated and bodies depicted as willowy and delicate with an air of natural beauty.
Mucha was clearly fascinated by the female form and feminine qualities. While other artists have often historically depicted women as dangerous, debauched and bewitching, as in the style of Aubrey Beardsley, Mucha saw the innocence and purity in women, as well as the sensuous temptation that resided within.
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Sarah Bernhardt by Mucha
He wrote that women were “creative forces to bring forth new beings” and as such didn’t seek to capture the physical likeness of woman but rather the essence of her soul. He saw past the physicality.
One of Mucha’s most notable muses was the inimitable Sarah Bernhardt, a Parisian actress and a superstar in her own right. Although ‘merely’ a book illustrator at the time he was commissioned to produce a poster for Ms Bernhardt. His finished work ‘Gismonda’ stunned Paris, and created instant success for Mucha as a true Artist.
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Spring & Summer of the Four Seasons by Alfons Mucha, circa 1897
Bernhardt loved the dramatic elongation of her already statuesque frame and the elegance within the flowing lines. She believed he captured the ‘soul’ of her Art, mirroring her own creative vision as a performer.
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Autumn & Winter of The Four Seasons by Alfons Mucha, circa 1897
Suddenly Mucha was given a six year contract and made the star’s Artistic Director, even producing Bernhard’s costumes, jewellery and stage sets. She may have been his muse but he sculpted her persona.
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The Pre-Raphaelite influence on Mucha’s work can be seen in the delicate facial features of the women he painted. Soft, full lips and deep, almost drowsy eyes with melancholy expressions reminiscent of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, dominated his work. Some even class his work as Eroticism - not surprising as during the Victorian era the glimpse of an ankle, legs, arms and shoulders was often classed as overtly erotic and sensual.
Mucha’s work also tends to mirror his spiritual, mystical side. His pieces offer an escape into another magical world where you can almost smell the fragrant musk of the flowers and the scent of the women exuding through his Artwork.
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Bières de la Meuse
Like Mackintosh the style of Mucha is so iconic, so instantly recognisable and globally loved that it was inevitable the style would be much copied. Today his work is widely imitated in everything from costume jewellery to 1960’s style psychedelic posters.
Finding a genuine, previously undiscovered or forgotten example of his work is increasingly difficult. Most of his Artwork is held by the Mucha Foundation, and is often exhibited around the world in travelling exhibitions, where it deserves to be preserved and enjoyed by anyone with an appreciation for beauty.