Alphonse Mucha

Alfons Maria Mucha was born in Ivanice, a small provincial town in the Czech Republic.
Alfons Mucha had a vocational training in stage decorations in Vienna from 1879 to 1881. In the evening he attended a class in drawing. After a few occasional commissions for decorative paintings, he went to Munich in Southern Bavaria. Here he studied at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts from 1885 until 1887.
After Munich, Mucha moved to the "mecca" of arts, Paris. Here he studied with different teachers. He lived in modest conditions and could survive with small commissions for book and newspaper illustrations. For a short period he shared a studio with Paul Gauguin.

He later found fame with his beautiful posters and had people like Sarah Bernhardt posing for him.
He became world renowned for his beautiful Art Nouveau style with luscious females with long flowing hair, advertising everything from cigarettes to bicycles! To me he is the ultimate of Art Nouveau.

Today I have posted three collages I've made using illustrations by Alphonse Mucha. I think he is my very favourite artist. The lady reading the book above I have on the wall of my sitting room painted on a porcelain plate and a while ago I showed you the Mucha image painted on tile in my kitchen.

I have painted several of his beautiful ladies on plates and they still look beautiful.

The two below are a little more complicated with many layers making up the collages.

I was quite happy with the way these turned out and I tried to make them a sort of

matched set. I hope you like them too.

Sending love and hugs,

June xx