The great grandson of Alphonse Mucha, Marcus Mucha, opened Alphonse Mucha : Spirit of Art Noveau which is the most comprehensive exhibition of Mucha’s art ever seen in Australia, comprising over 200 works.
Drawn from the Mucha Family Collection, administered by the Mucha Foundation in Prague, this major exhibition. exclusive to Sydney showcases the work of one of the most distinctive and fascinating artists of modern European art.
Critical, has been the close involvement of Mucha Foundation curator Tomoka Sato , working with the Art Gallery’s senior curator of exhibitions, Jackie Dunn.
The Czech painter, illustrator and pioneering graphic artist, arrived in Paris in 1887 and in less than a decade had revolutionised poster design to become a trailblazer of French Art Noveau.
The exhibition reveals the evolution of Mucha’s thinking from the early advertising posters to the later patriotic painting cycles.
With a career spanning over 5 decades, he was celebrated as one of the greatest graphic artists of his time and his life’s work often mirrored the turbulent history of 20th Century Europe.
The exhibition runs until the 22nd September 2024 at the Art Gallery Of New South Wales. For more details go to artgallery.nsw.gov.au
Text and photos by Ben Apfelbaum
