Product Description

Customer Reviews (10)

Very good purchase
This book is absolutely marvellous not just for containing the great pictures of Mucha's work as a "publisher" artist (what includes advertisements, theater posters, flyers and book illustrations) but also for the oil canvas he made. Mucha has a superb skill for portraying people what can be seen in his canvas and drawings shown in the book. It(the book) has a good size to be maneuvered and the pictures are wide and in good quantity. Excellent purchase!

Fantastic resource!
Wonderful resource on Alphonse Mucha for both scholarly and casual readers.Incomplete images of the Slav Epic, but the ones printed are large enough to see.Sketches and plates from earlier in Mucha's career are wonderful to see, as are the photographs.

Beautiful
I purchased this book for my husband who is an admirer of Alfonzo Mucha's work.

The book is loaded with works created by the artist and also incorporates a biography. It is a great looking hard cover and a more personal touch that a family member put the piece together.

If you liked the turn of the 20th century fashion and the styles of females captured in the wake of liberation often depicted in Art Nouveau style, Mucha's florals and scroll-work might appeal to you. Mucha is definitely one of those artists that stands alone and this book with its colourful replications are a welcome addition.

The Joy of Mucha
I concur with everyone else's opinion on this book and want to add what a great value this is for the money.All the reproductions are beautiful.As someone else has said, the book has a fine text and it also shows the breadth of Mucha's work showing sculpture and sketches as well as his famous posters.This book is jam packed with the best of Mucha and I can't recommend it highly enough for true Mucha fans.I sometimes cut up books like this for framing, but there are TOO MANY great pictures to separate them.A marvelous vision of all of his life's work with many hard to find reproductions.

Mucha the great, in print!!!!
Wonderful book, very good bio of the man plus a great many examples of his work. Only downfall to me is i wished the images would have been larger. But thats just me nitpicking, because i absolutely love this book. I think anyone who's a fan of Mucha should own this book. Cheers, enjoy. ... Read more

Product Description
This gorgeous volume surveys the entire breadth of Mucha s work from illustration and decorative arts to his photography and the historical paintings that were his life s passion.

Alfons Mucha is known largely for having originated Art Nouveau, when his poster of the actress Sarah Bernhardt became a legendary icon of the movement. Mucha went on to design hundreds of pieces in the decorative arts field, but later distanced himself from the style he pioneered, devoting his time and energy to painting. This book presents the full array of Mucha's artistic contributions-not only his posters and jewelry designs but also his design for the pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 1900 World's Fair. The book also includes his works on canvas, which include pastels and frescoes, and his magnum opus, The Slavic Epic, a series of 20 paintings depicting the history of his native people. A stunning selection of 700 color illustrations is accompanied with essays that explore Mucha's style and inspirations, his transition away from the decorative arts, and his forays into photography. Fans of Art Nouveau will treasure this dazzling and unique study of the artist and his contributions to design and illustration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

It is great
This is perhaps the best Mucha book out there for the mass-market. It has a lot in it, and is very thick. Colossal really. And contrary to the popular blief, size does matter when we are talking about art and photography books.

You see a lot in here: Mucha the illustrator, artist, interior and furniture designer, painter, jewelry and product designer and above all, one of the greatest sketch wizards of the history. My only complaint is: I think every Mucha fan out there, even though they admire and are fascinated by this sophisticated man with all his body of work, is eagerly expecting to find a large and HQ book about THE POSTERS of Mucha.

We all love him, but what seduced us the most about him isn't his furniture, it isn't his jewelry, or even his paintings: it is his world-famous poster illustrations with their imperishable beauty, elegance, and taste. This book is quite incomplete in that sense. Then again, Sarah Mucha's book is also quite incomplete, if not even more. I am curious about this artistic genius, of course. But at this stage, we all know him with every detail of his life. And it isn't all that by the way. These interminably long extracts and explanations which are going on and on about every minute detail of every minute thing about this beyond impressive body of work... Give it a rest already!

What about giving us one respectable HQ image after the other of his most famous posters like the JOB series, seasons, jewels, stars, zodiac, Sarah Bernhardt, and the very elusive, and for some reason hard-to-find, 'The Slav Epic'... in a hardcover, or at least between two covers in a poster book format? I am sure that book exists somewhere in Prague or Vienna or God-knows-where, but sometimes images speak much louder than words... I just want one book that will give me the sublime and elegant, without so many interruptions. That is it really. Not that complicated to put together.

This is a captivating book for a die-hard fan. Much bigger than Sarah Mucha's book. It look gorgeous, it has a commanding size and front cover, and it is beautiful to look at. However, until my demand is delivered and publishers finally comply, I will never give another Mucha book 5 stars, no matter how 'great' they may be.

Well worth the price
I bought this book about a month ago and I have to say that it is an amazing deal for the $40 that amazon charges for it. Worth every penny. I'd say it's a must have for any Mucha fan - I own a couple of other books on Mucha and this one is an excellent addition to the set.

Awful , poorly designed and cumbersome book
I have studied Mucha for over 40 years. This is without a doubt the very most user unfriendly catalog I have ever seen. The images in this heavy (5 lbs!) tome are printed in lurid colors,(some almost "day-Glow") and a chopped up format that destroys any understanding of Mucha's works. The designers of the book seem to have thought that they were being clever by using overlapping illustrations, so that there is no artwork that is presented in a simple full images. The essays are written in dated academic double talk, and it is filled with errors and with repetitions of long ago disproved information. The book was published for the magnificent exhibition in Vienna last year. The exhibition was profoundly beautiful and overwhelming. I was very put off by this catalog,and only bought it to obtain the scant few unknown images to add to my collection. I challenge anyone to use this book for a few minutes without becoming uncomfortable..the weight alone makes using it a sheer torture .(This applies to the paperback edition as well) Robert H.

The Rest Of The Story
Alphonse Mucha is one of the most loved artists of the last hundred years for good reason.He was a complete master of graphic design, his posters and period advertisements are now synonymous with the Art Nouveau movement.The graceful line, and elegant arrangement of shapes and colors compel art lovers even more now,than they did his intended audience, through their continual reproduction and publication.

This book really features an artist less known and appreciated.While it includes a generous selection of posters, book illustrations and related designs, the true focus of this volume is the work he did in the years after the peak of Art Nouveau, when he embarked on a vastly ambitious cycle of works relating the history of the Slav people.For these works were monumental in scale as well as conception, and he spent the decades after his Paris fame engaged in their creation.

Here we have Mucha as a painter and muralist, the power of his design skills are put to a different purpose than the promotion of events and products.The illustrations in this book are excellent, and short of a visit to the Czech Republic, are the best look most of us will have of the encyclopedic depiction of figures and landscapes that comprise the Epic.It is a grand vision, one that is often tragic portrayed here, yet as beautiful in its way as the familiar Sarah Bernhardt posters. There is a new, subtle and melancholy use of color in the murals and tonality often replaces the linear crispness of his graphic style. These works may not be as accessible to some, but have a rich and solemn genius.

This volume does not gloss over the earlier works by any means, his jewelry, photography and other less known illustrations are here too.If you are only interested in the Paris period of his work, this might not be the best single book for you, others cover that in great detail.For an overview of his entire output, however, this is a very valuable resource, lavishly and lovingly produced, it makes a great addition to the library of any art lover.

This book was only $40???
As a graphic designer I've long considered Mucha my personal "design hero". Incredible fine artist, typographer, printer, painter, industrial designer - you name it, he's done it. Until getting this book I thought I was familiar with his work, having done a project on him at some point in school. This book has tons of images I had never seen before, both of his work and photographs of his studio, life, models & still lives, etc.

The quality of this book is impeccable. The pages are huge and very well printed. Plenty of sketches and studies for his greatest works. I cannot recommend this book enough, I've seen $70+ books that fail to match the amount of material (both written and visual) catalogued here. It is now the prize of my bookshelf, my housemates were so jealous when it arrived that they are going to get their own!

Many of the themes throughout his prolific portfolio are making a comeback today - a return to natural forms and philosophies as a reaction to industrial and technological boom, and all that jazz. ... Read more

Product Description
Rare copyright-free design portfolio by high priest of Art Nouveau. Jewelry, wallpaper, stained glass, furniture; figure studies; plant and animal motifs, etc. Only complete one-volume edition.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Styling for Tatoos
A friend was interested in tatoo art, and I thought this art might be a revelation to her. Everything old is new again. She loves it!

Fantastic Art Nouveau reference
This book exceeded my expectations; I've fallen in love lately with these Dover books of artists' works. The full-page reproductions are top-notch and the selection creates a broad overview of the Art Nouveau/Jugendstil movement by its most famous and arguably most characteristic artist. You have Mucha himself to thank for that, as this is simply a recollation of images from his own book, though the plates are in a different order (for the purists, a chart is included referencing the pages to Mucha's original order).

It's not as thorough or lavish as the definitive book Alphonse Mucha by Sarah Mucha, but then it's also less than half the price and much more portable. There's little enough overlap between the two that it's worth buying both, and in my opinion most of the reproductions (other than the posters) are better in this Dover book. If you're looking for a broad overview and reference of the Art Nouveau style, this Dover book is the one to get, whereas if you want a more focused look at Mucha's work and life, particularly his ornamental panels featuring Sarah Bernhardt and other women, you'll want to pick up Sarah Mucha's book (or perhaps the other Dover book, Drawings of Mucha: 70 Works by Alphonse Maria Mucha Including 9 in Full Color.)

For what it aims to do, it does well.
The book has many images of his decorative elements, printed larger than some other books I looked at. It came in very handy for a Style class when I had to analyze his style. This is not an exhaustive collection of Mucha's work. It is also cheaply bound, and will fall apart more easily (I see copies in my school library with their pages falling out).

A great reference
The Art Nouveau Style Book is exactly what it says; many examples of Art Nouveau style over a broad range of uses, from wallpaper to silverware, chandeliers to posters.There are other books available which cover Mucha's posters, or life drawings, exclusively.This book instead gives us a broad overview of Art Nouveau as a style.

If you Love Mucha you will love this.
This is a reproduction of Mucha's portfolio "Documents Decoratifs" which is a lovely selection of Mucha's work.It includes not only many nude women and flowers (which one would expect) but also designs for furniture, silverware and lots of jewellery.If your looking for a source of information on Mucha this is not it but if you just want to gaze lovingly at a wide selection of his work you will adore this book. ... Read more

Product Description
large-size illustrations trace Mucha’s skills as a draftsman over more than 40 years. Among the more famous examples are original plans and drawings for "The Seasons," sketches for the Sarah Bernhardt poster, studies from Mucha’s stunning and innovative stylebooks, and a sketch for the St. Louis World’s Fair poster.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

i want more
when i first picked it up it felt like a colouring book (cover, thickness and line style of mucha's work). he's the man and there's some awesome drawings to study where you really get the feeling of his hand. but at only 70 drawings i'm still hungry for more.

Mucha beautiful!
I am a porcelain artist and this book has been so inspirational. I think we should have heard more of this artist.

Inside the mind of the artist
I appreciated this book as it gives a different perspective on Mucha's works. Being mostly a collection of pencil drawn sketches, it lets you enter the creative process of the artist, while other books I own just present the finished work.

Really useful for who'd like to understand his approach to drawing.

A Brief but Decent Introduction to Brilliance
This affordable and brief work to the works of Alphonse Mucha offers an introduction to the artist.Includes some early works, preliminary drafts, and finished products.Useful for those who are studying technique--you can see how he drew (pencil--a few in ink).About 60 illustrations in all, 8 of these in color.I remain fascinated with Mucha's perspectives on beauty.Very inspirational!

What a joy to behold!
What charm & grace does the man bring forth! Its things like this that make life worth living and makes us all just that much better. ... Read more

Product Description
SynopsisShowcasing the Art Nouveau masterpieces of one of the world's most outstanding and treasured artists, this beautifully illustrated reference book charts the life and work of a man who epitomized Parisian art during the fin-de-siècle.Telling the story of a man who was to dazzle the commercial world, the first half of the book explores how he achieved such success. From his early family life in Ivan?cice right through to his final days in Prague, it delves into every aspect of his career as it developed. Next, beginning with his earliest Parisian posters for the actress Sarah Bernhardt, the second half of the book focuses on Mucha's most intense period of productivity in Paris, and documents his success as an avant-garde artist. Exploring his many decorative panels and commercial posters as well as his illustrations for books and magazines, it takes an in-depth look at his changing artistic styles of the period and reveals his sources of inspiration. The informative text goes hand-in-hand with stunning reproductions of Mucha's most stirring and iconic works, from his Gismonda poster of 1894 to his The Moon and the Stars series of decorative panels of 1902. Featuring over 150 of his most important graphic works, Alphonse Mucha: Masterworks is the perfect gateway to learning more about this versatile artist - one who was truly successful in producing both commercial pieces and 'high art'. It is an ideal read for those with little knowledge of Mucha as well as those looking to learn more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Beautiful work!
Alphonse Mucha was definitely one of my favorite Art Nouveau artist from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, his ethereal depictions of women in his posters and paintings are very inspiring.His Influence on the Nouveau movement of the time is argued amongst art historians but to me this book show cases his work nicely! great book and an awesome find.

Gorgeous graphic works
Alphonse Mucha had undeniable influence on the Art Nouveau movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It's even been argued that his style defined that movement. I find that claim a bit much, but these graphic works still form a huge and very enjoyable collection.

This collection features dozens if not hundreds of his graphic works. Although best known for his posters, and especially posters advertising Sarah Bernhardt's performances, he took on many other commercial jobs as well. Perhaps it seems incongruous to see Mucha's languid lovelies dedicating themselves to crackers, perfume, bicycles, or absinthe. Or, perhaps that sampling shows just how the Art Nouveau movement permeated popular culture, right down to their cookie jars. Even in these mundane tasks, however, Mucha conveyed some sense of fantasy and everlasting springtime.

Despite the wide range of works presented here, I was disappointed that these "masterworks" include only graphic works. Mucha also created jewelry, wallpaper, theatrical sets, and even money! He was fiercely patriotic and, when Czechoslovakia won independence, he was commissioned to create its banknotes and postage stamps. Mucha's graphic work was brilliant and remains familiar worldwide. This book does the man disservice by presenting only his graphic work, when he created so much else.

The text describes Mucha's life and, I have to admit, I only skimmed it while soaking in the graphic work. That's where this book's real strength lies, however: in collecting some of the most beautiful specimens of this powerful artist's work.

-- wiredweird

Populist favorite of all time?
Highest recommendation.The toast of Paris at its height, perhaps the greatest artist of all time. ... Read more

Product Description
This lavishly illustrated book presents the full spectrum of Alphonse Mucha`s works, from his innovative posters and decorative panels to his architectural designs, jewelry, sculpture, photographs, books, and interiors. The authors discuss Mucha`s years in Paris, his iconography of Sarah Bernhardt, his service to the Czech government, his distinctive style that became nearly synonymous with turn-of-the-century French Art Nouveau, and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Amazing Book!
I purchased this book during the traveling exhibition a decade or so ago, and it is still my all-time favorite Alphonse Mucha book.The reproduction of color is AMAZINGLY ACCURATE (having seen the original pieces I can truly testify to that, and VERY important point when studying this master's art). The only problem with the color is their inability to use the actual metals in the prints (such as in pieces like Monte Carlo where real silver was used), but what are you going to do?This IS the go-to reference on the man who was indeed "the spirit of Art Nouveau", and will reveal his struggles, heartaches and magnificent triumphs.

You get what you pay for
If your a fan of Art Neveou, Mucha, Art Deco, or just the history of a wonderful artist than this is a must buy. It has some wonderful images that are not common in other books about Mucha, plus it goes it to detail how he started his career.

The book has a fabulous balance of commentary and his various forms of fine art, design, and nouveau. (It also has some of the best construction and printing quality that I've seen in an art book. )

Great purchase
This book was well worth the money.It not only includes great pictures of his work, it also includes information about his life.The order they are placed in allows you to compare his work that takes place around the same time.It also includes his other works, such as jewelry and sculptures.I would definitely suggest this for anyone who asks.

Another textbook masquerading as an art book . . .
If you are looking for an art book, avoid this one. I adore Mucha's work. That being said, I was decidedly underwhelmed with this massive tome. I was really looking forward to this because it seemed like it would be loaded with full color images from Mucha's career.
Half the book is black and white pictures with text. Then comes the 'Catalogue' which I'm finding means code for 'small pictures ahead'.
The entire Slav epic is reproduced, however the images are so tiny you can barely make it out, except for a couple pieces that take up half the page. Even more annoying is the fact that the teeny images occupy what is largely a blank page.Two or three images way down at the bottom and blank space for the rest of it.
I guess it's part of 'negative space' and art or whatever, but it felt like a rip off.
The rest of the 100 or so pages of art is much like this. Small images of most of his work, like 'Seasons' and 'Jewels' with mostly a blank page.
Why wouldn't they use more of the page and blow up the image so the reader can enjoy the works? This large book could have been the definitive book on Mucha for art book lovers. That is why I would rate this as an over hyped textbook. The best Mucha book out there is the one I imported from Prague.
Don't waste your time with this unless you are into a scholarly approach to this fantastic artist. For classroom study at best.

Excellently
The detailed comments written with feeling.
Illustrations reflect all stages of creativity
The book, worthy any collection ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

About the Hardcover Edition of this Book...
This book was first released in 1980 by Harmony Books and the quality of the illustrations here is superior to the later Random House Value Publishing release.

Red cloth over boards with gold print in a sewn binding; issued with dustjacket. 192 pp, 2.5 pounds. 163 color plates. After the images there is a 42 page catalogue raisonne which is certainly not as detailed as a catalogue raisonne found from an academic publisher, but which offers much helpful information.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
"Women and Flowers," The Life and Work of Alphonse Mucha

The Colour Plates
- Panneaux
- Posters
- Calendars
- Books
- Periodicals
- Miscellaneous Graphics and Postcards

Illustrations for Books and Periodicals

Catalogue
Addenda to the Catalogue
Selected Bibliography
Index to the Graphic Works

Good... for Mucha fans.
Not much to say about this book... I needed a few large Mucha prints and in that respect this book served it's purpose.
Not even close to a full collection but definitely beautiful.

Keep in mind, this is a book of his works... not much else in terms of content and history.

Alphonse Mucha
Art lovers around the world recall with delight Mucha's wonderful portraits of Sarah Bernhardt. Mucha single-handedly revolutionized French poster art at the turn of the century with art nouveau advertisements for Moet & Chandon, Job, Nestle's, Benedictine brandy and "the flower of the nineties"; Monaco Monte-Carlo.

Mucha's work was an inspiration to architects and designers who adapted his style of sinuous flowers and plant motifs for designing buildings and furniture. Mucha's harmonious designs, sensitive colors and superb draughtmanship have earned him the reputation as one of the outstanding and influencial graphic artists of Europe.

This stunning and colorful book is the most accurate record of Mucha's work available. Included are 163 full-color plates, some appearing here for the first time since their original publication. A complete catalogue section contains 525 detailed and illustrated entries and an extensive bibliography of books, periodicals and exhibition catalogues.

Marina Henderson's introduction, "Women and Flowers," and Dr. Anna Dvorak's epilogue, "Illustrations for Books and Periodicals," describe with insight Mucha's life, his achievements and his philosophy.
--- from book's back cover ... Read more

Product Description
Comprised of 40 full-page, two-color plates of finished drawings in several media, this new volume reproduces Mucha’s extraordinary 1905 style book, Figures Décoratives, a summation of Art Nouveau art and design. New introduction.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Art student guide
We purchased this for our son who is a senior art student at our local university. He likes the details and has used it many times as a reference.

Figures decoratives - 4.5
This book is a reproduction of Alphonse Mucha's second commissioned portfolio that was published in 1905. It's main use was and continues to be to help artists with composing the body within unusual and interesting shapes. The bulk of the drawings are, as would be expected with Mucha, of women in various dress or in the nude. There are also a few examples of younger children. I found this book to be useful for practice as copying the various figures has helped me gain a better grasp of anatomy. My only complaint would be that there are no studies of men in the plates.

Not enough
Mucha I love. His art is still very unique even today. It never seems old. This book is a good Dover book to see 40 plates by Mucha. They are presented in their original color. But I wouldn't recommend buying it because Dover has another book on Mucha which has 70 plates in original color. The 70 plates book is excellent and I recommend highly on getting it before it goes out of print.

The works presented in this book aren't too diverse. They are mostly tinted in either red or blue. ... Read more

Product Description
Alphonse Mucha (Czech, 1860-1939) virtually invented Art Nouveau as it applied to graphic design. Hired by happenstance to design a poster for one of Sarah Bernhardt's theatrical productions, he finished it in just a few days.

The profoundly innovative poster earned its creator instant fame. Before the poster, Mucha had been a capable illustrator and painter who kept his 'real' art safely in the Academic mode. After the poster, he worked prolifically in his new style, producing hundreds of images--such as these twelve gorgeous examples of 'le style Mucha.'

Size: 12 x 13 in.; opens to 12 x 26 in. Printed on FSC certified paper with soy-based ink.

Amazon.com Review
Reproductions of Alphonse Mucha's Art Nouveau posters can still befound in college dorm-rooms, favored by those who prefer a soft romanticaesthetic. His curlicue lettering and borders of encroaching flora set offportraits of elegant and curvy models. His career took off with an earlyposter for SarahBernhardt, though after World War I he went out of artistic fashion, andwas thought of as a designer and a stylist rather than as a fine artist. Hesought to please his clients though, and faithfully churned out commercialdesigns and images, until Hitler's invasion ofhis beloved Prague. The Nazis were displeased by his non-Aryan leanings.Ellridge's biography is splendidly illustrated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Beautiful sampling of Mucha's work.
Mucha's style very much defined the Art Noveau movement. In fact, he sometimes claimed it as his own. A grand claim, perhaps, but this extract from his ouvre puts some weight behind it.

It includes some of his jewelry, bronzes, and stage design, but those are minor parts of this collection. His well-know graphic works dominate by far - product wrappers, post cards, and theatrical posters. It says a fair bit for his popularity that, shortly after his posters were put up to announce some new production, they were torn down again by collectors.

A whole chapter describes his work work Sarah Bernhardt, with whom he seemed to have a happy professional symbiosis. Sarah had the "problem" of a slender figure in an age when roundness defined a woman's beauty. Mucha's style was about long, flowing curves of drapery, vegetation, and figure - a natural match to Sarah. His publicity posters certainly advanced her career, but it seems that her inspiration advanced his, too.

The text is informative, but tends towards a kind of history that I find dry. The pictorial presentation is effective, though. It includes many of his graphic works, and often the sketches that led up to them. The pictures also show his tendency to repeat an image with little or no variation - a plagiarism of self that must have been handy for meeting tight commercial deadlines. It gives an interesting insight into Mucha's work habits and how he would develop an image.

There may be better books on Mucha out there, but this one is certainly worth having.

//wiredweird

teaparty@iinet.net.au
Alphonse Maria Mucha,one of the great masters of art.It is sad to see that so many art academics dismiss his work as "unimportant",but I guess a lot of failed artists have a problem with pure talent.This book isone of the best around that is still in print,highly recommended anddefinately worth the price,especially at Amazon...

art nouveau and the importance of muchas work....
art nouveau triumphed in paris thanks to(ironically enough)a slavic draughtsman named mucha...this book touched on the importance of all of these facts....i have never actually read this book,but the cover says itall.....hooray for mucha....gunsnroses.

One of the most underappreciated artists in modern history
I was first introduced to Alphonse Mucha in a rather unorthodox way: comic books.Years ago, when I was still an avid colllector of comics, I particularly enjoyed those illustrated by Joe Quesada.As I studied his drawings in such books as Ash and Ninjak, two elements of his style stood out.His female figures were very curvy and voluptuous, quite different from the angular nature that predominated his work.Also he had an intriguing way of indicating panel borders with byzantine stained-glass motifs and curvilinear meanderings of his pencil.I have since learned that both of these elements were directly influenced by Mucha.

Although Mucha's most popular art does not vary much in content (most of his work consisted of vertically oriented affiches with a single female figure as the subject), he remains one of my most favorite artists.This book presents some of what I feel to be his best work.Don't look to Mucha for variation in theme or deep symbolic meaning.Instead, enjoy his work for it's strengths: beautiful women and intricate ornamentation. ... Read more

Product Description
Though Alfons Mucha (1860-1939) achieved lasting international acclaim as an Art Nouveau painter, graphic designer, and decorator, his outstanding photography is not as well known. His photographic sketchbook and personal visual diary, comprising photographs from the mid-1880s until the end of his life, constitutes a unique and profound artistic statement. This mosaic of captured moments reveals the intimate and personal basis of both Mucha's own life as an artistand the time period in which he lived. The behind-the-scenes glimpses of his studio provided here prove that Mucha--the creator of the ideal of Art Nouveau beauty--was one of the pioneers of the classic nude in Czech photography. This is the first time such a large selection of Mucha's extensive photographic work has been assembled as a book. Many of the photos in this book, never before published, reveal hitherto unknown aspects of Mucha's work, which will be of interest to the general reader and the photographic connoisseur alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

DO NOT BUY
I bought this book because it was listed as a collection of Mucha's photography.I was very upset to receive a tiny, sub-par collection of his artwork instead.I am very disappointed.

Brief introduction
Mucha's style epitomized, maybe defined Art Nouveau. His languid female figures, sentimental views of nature and classics, and loose allegories created a clear, strong graphic style. Perhaps it's ironic that Mucha's romantic style traces directly to a project done for commercial publicity.

A commission in 1894 had Mucha create the first of his posters for Sarah Bernhardt. The poster's lithographic printing process imposed constraints to which his earlier oil paintings were not subject. For example, outlines around each feature derive from the idea of a "key block" for the multicolor process, and help hide uncertain registration in printing. Since it was necessary, Mucha made it part of his visual style, and used it in cigarette and soap ads as much in odes to the arts, senses, and seasons.

This brief book presents a small selection of Mucha's huge output. It focuses largely on the commericial art from his incredibly productive 1895-1900 period. One earlier oil painting starts the collection; jewelry, interior design, and sculpture from all parts of his career appear as well. This collection also displays a few preparatory photos and drawings, sometimes with the finished work that they helped to develop. Although this book is well printed on bright, opaque paper, it's modest size sometimes makes the finest detail hard to pick out. Brevity is a problem, too - the biographical summary takes up only a few pages in the front of the book, but the book didn't have very many pages to give up. Still, it's an affordable and enjoyable summary, plenty to coax the reader into seeking out more of the beloved artist's work.

-- wireweird

Good for coffee table, alright for collector.
This is a small collection of Alphons Mucha's work.It includes lovely prints of Mucha's poster design and painting, a small biography, however, what disappoints me the most is the small dedication to his major work "The Slav Epic" and jewerly design.This is a good gift to introduce someone to Alphonse Mucha, but if you are a collector or fan of Mucha this is not the right book for you.

Photographs, Not Artworks, And Quite Beautiful
David is reviewing another book and people should not buy this for Mucha's non-photographic work.It is a small book of beautiful photographs by Mucha, quite varied, and very period-specific.Enthralling.

Best value Mucha book around!
Excellent full color collection of Alphonse Mucha's illustrations.Largerand more informative than the "American Collection", and withjust as nice reproduction but a much lesser cost than the "Spirit ofArt Nouveau".For the art fancier on a budget, this is by far thebest Mucha buy available. ... Read more

Product Description
Mucha's Byzantine beauties graced walls throughout Paris in the late 1890s.These romantic female figures were incredibly popular and forever changed the movement of art nouveau. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

An American Collection
This is a VERY small book, smaller than a cd case. The illustrations are great and it gives a very general overview of Mucha's life. I purchased this book as a reference for a report on Mucha for a college level class and it was definitely not very useful for that purpose.The author does not cite any resources for the information in the book and other than looking good on the bookshelf it was not worth the price.

Part of a Really Useful Series
I run enrichment programs for school age children and this book along withthe other books in the Vignette series from the Collector's Press have beenterrific in introducing kids to great artists.This book does a great jobof chronicling Mucha's life and career.I highly recommend it as anintroduction to Art Nouveau and Alphonse Mucha.

Useful Reference Book
I found this book to be a great addition to my library of art nouveaureference books.It is small and concise. The author obviously loves hissubject matter.I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in anoverview of Mucha's work in a quick read.

Save your money ...
Don't even bother.There is a magnificent book published by Art Services Inc. in association with Yale University which, after years of searching, is the definitive book on Alphonse Mucha."Alphonse Mucha: The Spiritof Art Nouveau", 1998, by Victor Arwas,Jana Brabcova- Orlikova andAnna Dvorak. Costs more $$, but you're really getting something! Exquisite! Text and great color pieces. A treasure.

Save your money ...
Don't even bother.There is a magnificent book published by Art Services Inc. in association with Yale University which, after years of searching, is the definitive book on Alphonse Mucha."Alphonse Mucha: The Spiritof Art Nouveau", 1998, by Victor Arwas,Jana Brabcova- Orlikova andAnna Dvorak. Costs more $$, but you're really getting something! Exquisite! Text and great color pieces. A treasure. ... Read more

Product Description
Period stylebook for commercial artists reproduced in it’s original coloration from only existing copy features 60 plates from three great artists. 60 plates in full color. Publisher’s Note.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A colorful and historic collection of designs
"Art Nouveau Designs in Color" is a wonderful reprint of a portfolio first published in Paris around 1900. The book collects the graphic designs of Alphonse Mucha, Maurice Verneuil, and Georges Auriol.

The many colorful designs in the book contain a number of different motifs: flowers, peacock feathers, seahorses, birds, butterflies, various geometric creations, and other elements. These decorative designs are often playful, often elegant. Overall, a fascinating and delightful book. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Lovely postcards, nice for something different to send
These are simply lovely postcards. I am quite glad I ordered this book, as I send and trade postcards in the mail and was looking for something a little different to send.

The only downside to the postcards in this book is the rough perforation between the cards. After folding along the perforation the cards tear out just fine, but I always need to slice off a sliver of paper along the edges to do away with the unsightly perforation edge.

WOW
These postcards are very very nice and such a wonderful work of art!! This is definetly a best buy!!! i cant wait to mail them out. even tho at times i kindof want to keep them for myself. ANyways its a good choice of postards to mail to your loved ones.

Mucha cards
This is a fantastic collection of postcards! Some of the images seem a little washed out, but these are meant for sending not as framed artwork. I had to but two sets, one to keep and the other to send to my friends!

beautiful !!!
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!!! I am happy that I purchased this set of Mucha's postcards. It's a great piece for my collection of Art Nouveau. I don't even want to use them as postcards. I 'm gonna keep them for myself! The quality of paper is perfect - the finish is glossy, colors are vivid and deep. I just wish there were more pictures in the set. :)

Mucha Poster Cards
These post cards are beautiful and the quality is great.I can't bring myself to tear them out of the book and actually mail them to anyone.I am going to have to order a second book so I can use them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Collection
I actually don't own this book, the cost is preventative for me.But I studied with this book for all of the years I had access to it at the art school I attended.It is a beautiful, fairly comprehensive book that I am determined to purchase as soon as I can squeeze out the money from my student budget- it is well worth it!There are notes about each plate and in some cases other variations formerly in circulation.A must have for any art nouveau or Mucha lover! ... Read more