Alphonse Mucha
nouveau riche Explore the work of one of the leading lights of the Art Nouveau movement in this handsome book
This handsome book charts the art and photographic work of one of the leading lights from the Art Nouveau movement.
Author Tomoko Sato Publisher Skira Price £28 Web www.skira.net Available Now
Alphonse Mucha found fame in 1890s Paris for his theatrical posters and decorative panels. Author Tomoko Sato’s gorgeous tribute to the artist is well worth poring over.
Mucha’s work permeated illustration, posters, postcards and the advertising designs of his day. This hardback book reproduces his designs beautifully, and gives you a real sense of the glamour and excitement of fin-de-siècle Paris.
That’s only part of Mucha’s story, though. An unusually versatile artist (he worked as a painter, sculptor, photographer and designer), he believed passionately in the independence of his Czech homelands, and this came to the fore in his latest works. There’s some carefully selected photography, too, that adds to the immersion in the period, along with a detailed introduction that sets everything in context.
That’s about it for the text, though, aside from the picture captions. Most of this book is centred around Mucha’s gorgeous illustrations, making every turn of the page an exquisite aesthetic experience to be savoured. Ra ting ★★★★