Alphonse Mucha

1860 - 1939

1860 Born at Ivancice in

South Moravia, near the city of Brno in the modern Czech Republic.

Early years: a choirboy and amateur musician

Early Years 1871 Gains a

choral scholarship to the Church of St Peter in Brno, the capital of Moravia.

1875 Returns to Ivancice. His father finds him work as a court clerk.

1878 Applies to the Prague Academy of Fine Arts. His application is turned down with the recommendation: "Find yourself another profession where you'll be more useful".

1879 Goes to Vienna to work as a scene painter for the firm of Kautsky-Brioschi-Burghardt.

1881 1883 Leaves Vienna after

being laid off when his employer's best customer, the Ringtheater, burns down in a fire.

Goes to Mikulov where he earns a living by painting portraits.

Meets Count Khuen Belasi who commissions him to decorate his castle at Emmahof.

Moves to Castle Gandegg, Tyrol, where Count Khuen's brother, an amateur artist, becomes Mucha's patron.

Academics 1885 Begins studies at

the Munich Academy of Art, sponsored by Count Khuen's brother.

1887 Moves to Paris to study at the Academie Julian, still under the Count's sponsorship.

1888 Leaves the Academie Julian and becomes a student at the Academie Colarossi.

1889 The Count's sponsorship ends. Leaves the Academie Colarossi and seeks work as an illustrator.

Paris 1890 Moves to a studio

above Madame Charlotte's cremerie at rue de la Grande Chaumiere. Begins to illustrate a theatre magazine, Le Costume au theatre, in which his first drawing of Sarah Bernhardt as Cleopatra appears.

1891 Meets Paul Gauguin at Madame Charlotte's before his journey to Tahiti.

Begins work for the publisher Armand Colin, a main source of income.

1892 Commissioned by Colin to illustrate Scenes et Episodes de l'Histoire d'Allemagne by Charles Seignobos

1893 Gaugin returns from Tahiti and shares Mucha's studio in rue de la Grande Chaumi

1894 Designs his first poster for Sarah Bernhardt, Gismonda, a play by Victorien Sardou

                                              

Morning Awakening

                                           

Light of Day

                                             

Evening Reverie

                                            

1895 The poster Gismonda appears

in Paris. Mucha signs a 5 year contract

with Sarah Bernhardt to produce stage, costume designs, and posters.

The firm of Champenois begins to publish Mucha's posters

Meets August Strindberg at Madame Charlotte's.

Participates in the Lumiere brothers' cinematographic experiments, including a study of plant movements.

1896 Moves to a new

studio at rue du Val-de-Grâce. Champenois publishes Mucha's first decorative panneaux, The Seasons

1897: Exhibitions One man exhibition at

the Bodiniere Gallery, Paris, showing 107 works.

One man exhibition at the Salon des Cent, showing 448 works.

A special issue of La Plume devoted to it.

One man exhibition at the Topic Gallery in Prague

Recognition 1915 Mucha's son Jiri is born 1918 The independent state of

Czechoslovakia is created. Mucha designs postage stamps and banknotes

1919 The first eleven canvases of the Slav Epic are exhibited at the Klementinum in Prague and then sent to be exhibited in America

1921 Successful exhibition of Mucha's work at the Brooklyn Museum, New York

1928 The complete cycle of the Slav Epic is officially presented to the Czech people and the City of Prague at the city's Trade Fair Palace.

1934 Promoted to Officier of the Légion d'Honneur by the French Government.

1936 A joint exhibition of works by Mucha and Kupka is held at the Musée du Jeu de Paume in Paris. Mucha shows 139 works.

Late Years 1938 Begins to work on the triptych The Age

of Reason, The Age of Wisdom and The Age of Love.

1939 Mucha is among the first to be arrested by the Gestapo when the Germans invade Czechoslovakia. On 14th July, Mucha dies in Prague. He is buried at Vysehrad cemetery. Despite the Nazis banning the public from his funeral, over 100,000 Czechs attend.