We're delighted to announce that the Art Gallery of New South Wales will host the most comprehensive exhibition ever seen in Australia of Mucha's visionary artist’s work
One of art’s great stylistic innovators, Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) created some of most instantly recognisable and best-loved works in modern European art. In seductive, sinuous compositions, he developed a new language that defined the look of late 19th-century Paris to be the very spirit of art nouveau.
Alphonse Mucha: Spirit of Art Nouveau brings together Mucha’s illustrations, jewellery, interior decoration, photographs and more, the exhibition reveals an artist and designer whose powerful influence remains with us today.
Once hailed as ‘the greatest decorative artist in the world’, Mucha rocketed to fame with the posters he created for legendary actor and international superstar Sarah Bernhardt, moving on to global recognition through advertising and product design that were his first steps towards the democratisation of art he so desired.
Seeking a true ‘art for the people’, Mucha – as artist, activist, mystic and philosopher – strived to elevate the human spirit. His strongly felt political and spiritual philosophies guided his lifelong commitment to the Slavic peoples and the liberation of his homeland in today’s Czech Republic. Within this sweeping exhibition, visitors will encounter an immersive digital experience of Mucha’s late great painting cycle, the Slav epic, in a journey that helps uncover the artist behind the famous images.
The exhibition is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW. It is accompanied by a full-colour catalogue, richly illustrated with over 200 images.