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Alphonse Mucha

The most famous artist from the movement can be Alphonse Mucha. He was born in Southern Moravia, Czechoslovakia and well known as an illustrator of posters. With the rise of industrial revolution and developments of consumerism, Mucha was able to use technological printing techniques that have become more refined and sophisticated. Enhanced qualities of printing techniques allowed the consumer posters to be Parisian trends and Mucha to be a most well known artist. His most recognized work is a poster of the actress, Sarah Bernhardt. This actress can easily and often be shown on his numerous posters. Mucha’s art work of women and commercial posters with women were always finished precisely and came out with a frame in soft colors and it was available due to developed printing process. Many curved lines were used in his posters.

 

 

In the poster of Lorenzaccio (Figure 1), it featured Sarah Bernhardt as a male read role Loreanaccio. The poster shown with the expressive power of the huge figure in the middle illustrates a character wearing dark Renaissance clothing symbolizing the murder of Duke Alexander. There is also the form of a dragon in the upper part. He became an internationally recognized artist and designer who received many commissions especially from the luxury industry. Another technological work that he focused on was made an exceptional series of photographs of models posing for him between 1896 and the early 1900s. Between 1896 and the early 1900s Mucha made a remarkable series of photographs of the models posing for him in refer to figure 2. The use of photography was a replacement of the sketches and common among Mucha’s Parisian contemporaries. As always, Mucha’s photography was a woman. However, many photographs by Mucha also contain an atmosphere of his studio where numerous Parisian artists, writers and musicians were entertained.  There was not a specific project when Mucha took his photographs. He takes numerous photographs within one session by allowing models to pose freely for a quiet long time. Then he would select the most suitable picture out of the photographs. Mucha had a crucial role on the development of decorative art by using technology and Art Noveau. In addition, his using technology of camera and printing process can define Art this movement as a reaction to mechanization of the industrial revolution. [1]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artwork 

Figure 1

Alphonse Mucha, Lorenzaccio poster 1896

http://www.1worlddecor.com/french-poster/1w-art-086-lorenzaccio-mucha-1896.htm 

(accessed September 20, 2014)

Figure 2

Alphonse Mucha, Nude photograph 1900

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfons_Mucha_model_006.jpg

(accessed September 20, 2014)

 

[1] Escritt, Stephen. Art Nouveau. London: Phaidon, 2000. Print.

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