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Alphonse Mucha, North American tour for a retrospective of the artist, key figure of the Art Nouveau movement

An exhibition celebrates Mucha's creative genius and offers an in-depth look at how his revolutionary style transformed the graphic arts. The balance between commercialism, accessibility and the power of decorative beauty remains a signature of his legacy

Alphonse Mucha, North American tour for a retrospective of the artist, key figure of the Art Nouveau movement

La Phillips CollectionIn partnership with The Mucha Foundation, announces Timeless Mucha North American tour: The Magic of Line, an innovative exhibition that reevaluates the artist's work and influence Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939).

The exhibition examines Mucha's groundbreaking contributions to graphic design and explores the enduring influence of his signature style, rediscovered by subsequent generations of artists. With over 100 works, the exhibition traces Mucha's artistic evolution, from his early training to his emergence as a leading figure of the Art Nouveau movement, showcasing his intricate linework, fluid forms and highly stylised designs that transformed poster art, commercial illustration and visual aesthetics around the world. In the 60s, Mucha's distinctive style found new life in the vibrant poster art of the counterculture movement, becoming a trademark of psychedelic rock posters and album covers, influencing iconic bands like the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones, as well as comics, Japanese books, manga and murals.

Mucha shows

Organized into thematic sections, Timeless Mucha delves into Mucha’s foundational studies, shaped by his childhood in Moravia, classical training in Munich and Paris, the vibrancy of fin-de-siècle Paris, and his relationships with other artists, all of which influenced his unique artistic style. style. A key moment in Mucha’s rise to fame was his collaboration with French actress Sarah Bernhardt, whose stage portraits propelled both of their careers to new heights. The exhibition also focuses on his innovative posters and designs that elevated graphic art to a respected art form. Inspired by botanical forms, Mucha’s sinuous, organic style and idealized figures—often called the Mucha style—defined the visual aesthetic of the early 20th century. Widely accessible to the public thanks to advances in mass production and a thriving publishing industry, Mucha’s magazine covers, books, postcards, decorative panels, calendars, and more have become a part of everyday life. The artist's drawings set a template for the Art Nouveau movement, influencing both the artistic and commercial realms.

“Art is… as eternal as the progress of man. Art is therefore in a state of continuous development,” Mucha said.

Exhibition Calendar

Organized by the Mucha Foundation, this major exhibition will premiere at The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, February 22, 2025 and will be open to visitors until May 18, 2025. The exhibition will then travel to the New Mexico Museum of Art, Sante Fe, NM (June 20 – September 20, 2025); the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL (November 19, 2025 – March 1, 2026); the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO (April 11 – August 30, 2026); and the Kaluz Museum, Mexico City, Mexico (October 8, 2026 – February 8, 2027).

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