Alphonse Mucha's artwork has
become synonymous with art nouveau's
most recognizable features: organic
curving forms, female subjects, lavish
ornamentation and exotic use of color.
Though Mucha did not invent the style,
it was through his work that the,
European exponent of the style found
its most visable manifestation. When
Mucha produced his first poster for
Sarah Bernhardt's play Gismonda in
1895, he helped focus the public's
attention on the "new art." In an age of
great poster artists like Cheret and
Toulouse-Lautrec, he created a completely
new style. When he died in 1939, art
nouveau was all but forgotten. Mucha and
art nouveau were redicovered in the late
1960s and new generations of disciples have
found inspiration in this incredible artist and
the style he personified.
