Alphonse Mucha

The Art Of Alphonse Mucha

• Report rights infringement
• published: 05 Mar 2015
• views: 627

Alphonse Maria Mucha was born in the town of Ivančice, Moravia (the present Czech Republic). Although his singing abilities allowed him to continue his education through high school in the Moravian capital of Brno, drawing had been his main hobby since childhood. He worked at decorative painting jobs in Moravia, mostly painting theatrical scenery. In 1879, he relocated to Vienna to work for a major Viennese theatrical design company, while informally augmenting his artistic education. When a fire destroyed his employer's business during 1881 he returned to Moravia, to do freelance decorative and portrait painting. Count Karl Khuen of Mikulov hired Mucha to decorate Hrušovany Emmahof Castle with murals, and was impressed enough that he agreed to sponsor Mucha's formal training at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. Mucha moved to Paris in 1887, and continued his studies at Académie Julian and Académie Colarossi. In addition to his studies, he worked at producing magazine and advertising illustrations. About Christmas 1894, Mucha happened to go into a print shop where there was a sudden and unexpected need for a new advertising poster for a play featuring Sarah Bernhardt, the most famous actress in Paris, at the Théâtre de la Renaissance on the Boulevard Saint-Martin. Mucha volunteered to produce a lithographed poster within two weeks, and on 1 January 1895, the advertisement for the play Gismonda by Victorien Sardou was posted in the city, where it attracted much attention.[4] Bernhardt was so satisfied with the success of this first poster that she began a six-year contract with Mucha. Mucha produced a flurry of paintings, posters, advertisements, and book illustrations, as well as designs for jewelry, carpets, wallpaper, and theatre sets in what was termed initially The Mucha Style but became known as Art Nouveau (French for "new art"). Mucha's works frequently featured beautiful young women in flowing, vaguely Neoclassical-looking robes, often surrounded by lush flowers which sometimes formed halos behind their heads. In contrast with contemporary poster makers he used pale pastel colors.[5] Mucha's style was given international exposure by the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris, of which Mucha said, "I think [the Exposition Universelle] made some contribution toward bringing aesthetic values into arts and crafts."[6] He decorated the Bosnia and Herzegovina Pavilion and collaborated with decorating the Austrian Pavilion. His Art Nouveau style was often imitated. The Art Nouveau style however, was one that Mucha attempted to disassociate himself from throughout his life; he always insisted that rather than maintaining any fashionable stylistic form, his paintings were entirely a product of himself and Czech art.[4] He declared that art existed only to communicate a spiritual message, and nothing more; hence his frustration at the fame he gained by his commercial art, when he most wanted to concentrate on more artistic projects. Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985),[5] known by her stage name Lana Del Rey and former stage name "Lizzy Grant", is an American singer-songwriter. Del Rey started songwriting at the age of 18[6] and signed her first recording contract with 5 Points Records in 2007,[7] releasing her first digital album Lana Del Ray in January 2010. Del Rey bought herself out of the contract with 5 Points Records in April 2010.[7][8] She signed a joint contract with Interscope, Polydor, and Stranger Records in July 2011.[8] Del Rey released her second studio album Born to Die in January 2012. It debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, and was the fifth best-selling album of 2012. A remix of its fifth single "Summertime Sadness", produced by Cedric Gervais, became her highest-charting track on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 after peaking at number six in the country. Del Rey released her third extended play Paradise that November; three of its tracks were featured in her short film Tropico, which was premiered in December. Her third studio album Ultraviolence was released in June 2014 and debuted as number one on the Billboard 200. In December 2014, she announced she will be headlining a tour with Courtney Love in Summer 2015.[9] Del Rey's music has been noted for its cinematic sound and its references to various aspects of pop culture, particularly that of the 1950s and 1960s Americana. The singer has described herself as a "gangsta Nancy Sinatra". Musically, she draws influence from what she deems to be the masters of each genre, including Elvis Presley, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Nirvana,[10][11] Eminem, Bruce Springsteen, and Britney Spears,[12] as well as from poetry and film noir.[13] Copyright disclaimer. This video is for entertainment only, non profit. Fair use purpose permitted by copyright statute (SECT 109 of DMCA - 1976) Title 17 Section 100a. I own no media associated with this video. All videos are credited to respective owners.