Timeless Mucha: The Magic of Line - by Tomoko Sato (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A fabulous tribute to the artist whose stylized poster designs defined Art Nouveau's visual language, and whose influence can be seen everywhere from manga to the Grateful Dead

This volume reappraises the graphic work of Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) and explores its influence on graphic art since the 1960s. Published in conjunction with a touring exhibition to five leading museums in the US and Mexico, this volume provides an opportunity to survey the development of Mucha's style, which evolved to be synonymous with Art Nouveau. It explores how it was rediscovered by later generations of artists, becoming a new artistic idiom for the Psychedelic Art of the 1960s and 1970s as well as a wide range of visual culture from the late 20th century to today, exemplified by American comics, Japanese manga and street murals.
Coinciding with the opening of the new Mucha Museum in the baroque Savarin Palace in Prague, Timeless Mucha is organized into three thematic sections: Inspirations for the Mucha Style, Le Style Mucha, and Art Nouveau and The Rebirth of the Mucha Style and Its Legacy. The first two sections focus on Mucha's artistic development, examining the theoretical basis of Mucha's style--famously known as "le style Mucha" in fin-de-siècle Paris--and its context. Tracing the artist's footsteps from his youth in Moravia through the 1890s, when he attained fame as a poster artist, the first section highlights a selection of works of art, crafts and books from his own collection. The third section explores visual links between Mucha's artistic idiom and the styles developed by later generations of artists. While Mucha's style continues to influence today's visual culture, including fashion, animation movies and computer games, this catalog also focuses on a philosophical aspect of Mucha's legacy: the art of message-making.

This book was published in conjunction with D.A.P.

Review Quotes

[A] fascinating glimpse into a web of global influences, market demands, and political upheaval that fills in the gaps of Mucha's story, granting a new appreciation for his work.--Lakshmi Rivera Amin "Hyperallergic"

[Mucha's] ornate compositions, sinuous lines, and ethereal depictions of women--hallmarks of the Art Nouveau style--captivated the public and confirmed his reputation.--Elena Clavarino "Air Mail"

[The] embrace of the Mucha style--even unknowingly--speaks to an artistic connection across countries, from generation to generation, underscoring the lasting power of his art.--Sarah Cascone "Artnet"

Alphonse Mucha's indelible images, on view at the Phillips Collection, live on in the visual style of the Grateful Dead, Final Fantasy, comics and more.--Angelica Hankins "The Washington Post"

Czech painter Alphonse Mucha is essentially the poster child for poster design, responsible for elevating this commercial art into the echelon of fine art with an impeccable aesthetic and the sensibility of a showman.--Stephanie Rudig "Washington CIty Paper"

Sinuous, sensuous and elegant.--Philip Kennicott "The Washington Post"

[Alphonse Mucha's 'Gismonda'] set the standard for the ensuing decades.--Tim Brinkhof "Artnet"