“The mission of the artist is to encourage people to love beauty and harmony.”
The Artist
Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) was a Czech graphic artist and painter who gained recognition in Paris in the late 1890s for his theater posters created for the great actress Sarah Bernhardt, for his product advertisements as well as for elegant decorative panel designs.
The Arts – Painting (1899) by Alphonse MuchaCentro Cultural Banco do Brasil Rio de Janeiro
His work inspired the then emerging Art Nouveau style.
The West End Review (1898) by Alphonse MuchaCentro Cultural Banco do Brasil Rio de Janeiro
Mucha was an advertising art pioneer and his style was marked by subtlety and perfectionism. He is enshrined as a symbol of Art Nouveau.
His legacy has been kept alive as he continues to influence artists around the world, even 80 years after his death.
The Art
This exhibition seeks to explore the development of Mucha's own graphic style and the ideas behind it, in particular that of beauty – a principle that underlies his theories and philosophy of art.
Song of Bohemia (1918) by Alphonse MuchaCentro Cultural Banco do Brasil Rio de Janeiro
Mucha passionately believed that art was an essential benefit to humanity and that it should be seen and enjoyed by as many people as possible, and the Mucha Foundation continues his legacy by actively promoting his work.
The Mucha Foundation is committed to carrying out further investigation of his work in order to strengthen the public's understanding of Mucha's artistic legacy through an ambitious program of exhibitions and publications.
Study for an Advertising Poster: Lance Parfum "Rodo" (1896) by Alphonse MuchaThe Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
These will include presentations of his renowned fin-de-siècle posters and decorative works and introduce his lesser-known drawings, paintings, pastels and photographs to reveal the breadth and complexity of his creative vision.
Figures Décoratives: drawing for Plate 25 (1904) by Alphonse MuchaCentro Cultural Banco do Brasil Rio de Janeiro
Since its creation, the Foundation has worked with museums and art galleries around the world to organize numerous Mucha exhibitions. In 1998, the Foundation opened a museum devoted to the life and work of Mucha in Prague.
With over 100,000 visitors a year, the Mucha Museum is one of the most successful museums in the Czech Republic.
Whether you are familiar with Mucha's work or not, we hope that you will enjoy making this journey through Mucha’s life and work with us, and that you will enjoy making connections with the work made by today's artists.
Head of Sarah Bernhardt: study for Lorenzaccio (1896) by Alphonse MuchaCentro Cultural Banco do Brasil Rio de Janeiro
We have made many discoveries in the development of this exhibition; we hope that you, too, will make discoveries and that Mucha’s artistic vision will touch your heart.
(John Mucha - President)
The Arts – Music (1899) by Alphonse MuchaCentro Cultural Banco do Brasil Rio de Janeiro
With this exhibit the Ministry of Tourism and Banco do Brasil present and BB DTVM presents the sponsor Alphonse Mucha: the legacy of Art Nouveau, a show that honors the greatest icon of the artistic movement of the end of the 19th century.
The exhibition features the largest collection by the Czech artist ever shown in Brazil. There are more than 100 works that showcase different moments and themes addressed by Mucha.
Peonies (1897 - 1898) by Alphonse MuchaNational Galleries Scotland: Modern
The exhibition tells how the pioneer in advertising art had his style marked by subtlety and perfectionism, which consecrated him as a symbol of Art Nouveau. And how even after 80 years of his death, he influences artists all over the world and keeps his legacy alive.
By carrying out this project, Banco do Brasil reaffirms its commitment to promoting access to culture, offering the public the opportunity to get to know a reference of world art up close.
