Alphonse Mucha and Czech Art Nouveau

Mucha's posters are so familiar that people forget there was an artist behind them. Long-haired women in flowing robes, framed by flowers and halos of ornament: that is the shorthand for a whole style, Art Nouveau. The man himself spent half his career trying to move on from it.

From Ivančice to Paris

Alphonse Mucha was born in 1860 in Ivančice in Moravia. He trained in Munich and Paris, and in 1894 he got his break with a poster for Sarah Bernhardt's play Gismonda. It was a sensation, and Mucha became the most sought-after commercial artist in Paris. He designed theatre posters, advertisements, calendars, jewellery and interiors. The look, with soft curves, symbolic ornament and idealised women, became known as the "Mucha style" and a leading example of Art Nouveau.

For Czechs, the interesting part is the turn. Mucha was a patriot, and he didn't want to be remembered only as a decorator.

The Slav Epic

His great project was the Slav Epic (Slovanská epopej), a cycle of 20 monumental canvases telling the story of the Slavic peoples. He worked on it for years in a château in Bohemia with the backing of an American patron, and finished it in the 1920s. He gave it to the city of Prague on condition that a suitable building was provided. The canvases are several metres across.

The Epic has had a restless history of storage and display. It has been shown in Prague, at the Veletržní Palace (see our guide to how the National Gallery works), and in Moravský Krumlov in Moravia. Where it hangs now is something to check before you go, on the National Gallery's site.

Opinions differ. Some see a great national monument, others find it sentimental. Judge for yourself. It is certainly a long way from the Paris posters.

Mucha in Prague's public life

After Czechoslovakia was founded in 1918, Mucha designed some of its first banknotes and stamps. He also decorated the Municipal House, where he did the Mayor's Hall; see our guide to the Municipal House. In St Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle, one of the stained-glass windows is his, among the more colourful pieces in the building. Our Prague Castle guide explains how to reach it.

His last years

Mucha died in Prague in 1939, soon after the German occupation began. The Gestapo had interrogated him, and the Nazi regime saw his patriotic art as a threat. He is buried at Vyšehrad cemetery with other Czech notables.

Art Nouveau across the city

Mucha is the most famous name, but the style is bigger than any single artist. In Czech it is called secese, and Prague has some of the best examples in Central Europe. Our walking guide to Art Nouveau in Prague gives you a route.

A note on souvenirs

Mucha reproductions fill the souvenir shops, and they're cheap and fine as decoration. Original prints are another matter. If you're thinking of buying one, deal with a reputable dealer and ask for documentation. A private museum devoted to Mucha also exists in the centre; check it yourself before you go.

Do this today

Look up the Slav Epic on the National Gallery site and confirm where it is on view. Then, on the tram, watch the façades along the way: you may start spotting Art Nouveau curves without being told.