Mucha

From Saturday 29 September 2018 for the first time in Bologna an important retrospective on the work of Alphonse Mucha, one of the greatest performers of Art Nouveau; until 20 January 2019 the wonderful eighteenth-century halls of Palazzo Pallavicini (Via San Felice 24, Bologna) will frame 80 of the most famous works by the Czech artist, 27 of which are exhibited for the first time in Italy.

The exhibition, organized by Chiara Campagnoli, Rubens Fogacci and Deborah Petroni of Pallavicini srl in collaboration with Mucha Foundation and with the curatorship of Tomoko Sato, puts an unprecedented look on the work of the great artist

Czech-born Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) was one of the most influential and celebrated artists in fin-de-siècle Paris, best known for his graphic work such as his theatre posters for the ‘super-star’ actress Sarah Bernhardt and his decorative panels featuring graceful women. Mucha created a distinctive style – le style Mucha – characterised by harmonious compositions, sinuous forms, organic lines and muted palette, which became synonymous with the newly emerging decorative style of the time – Art Nouveau.

Despite the powerful impact of Mucha’s style, however, his aesthetic ideas behind its development are less well known. The exhibition Alphonse Mucha: In Quest of Beauty draws on the latest research to examine the theoretical aspect of his work, especially the idea of beauty – the core principle of his art.

Showing some 80works selected from the collection of the Mucha Trust, the exhibition will feature Mucha’s iconic posters and his decorative works from his Paris period and also it will look at how the artist expressed his Czech nationalism with his artistic language after his return to his native Czech lands.