Poster child

We can never have too much Mucha

by Leon Nigrosh

ALPHONSE MUCHA: THE SPIRIT OF ART NOUVEAU
At the Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury Street, Through January 2, 2000.

It was the dawn of a new era, and the 1900 Paris Exhibition boasted of industrial growth and of a cultural rebirth across Europe and America. And Art Nouveau was the rage. England had Aubrey Beardsley, Spain showed off Antoni Gaudi, France showcased Rene Lalique, the US promoted Tiffany, father and son, and Prague touted Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939).

Stop right there. Who is this Mucha (pronounced MOO KAH) person, and why isn't he a household name? We have Hitler and his Nazis, along with the Bolsheviks and their Iron Curtain, to thank for the suppression of Mucha's works for the past 70 years. Fortunately, we can once again revel in the artistic magic woven by this internationally renowned icon. During his lifetime, Mucha was the darling of the cultural elite from Vienna to Paris and from Munich to New York. His graphics were in great demand, as were his jewelry, architecture, sculpture, and household objects.

We are indeed fortunate that WAM director Jim Welu was able to bring this exhibition of more than 130 of Mucha's paintings, posters, and other objects d'art here. This is the only Northeast venue for these magnificent works. We are struck at once by the beauty of Mucha's seven-foot-tall color lithograph poster of the legendary French actress Sarah Bernhardt (née Henriette-Rosine Bernard) as La Dame aux camilias. This singular work epitomizes Mucha's innate understanding of both his craft and the popular psyche. Through line, pattern, and color, he brings this image to life not only as a portrait, but as the doomed heroine, and he infuses this character with the plight of every star-crossed lover.

It was Mucha's relationship with Bernhardt that propelled him to stardom as the premier poster illustrator of his time. His work was in such demand that people took his posters right off the city walls and kiosks. Bernhardt often had as many as 4000 additional posters printed to be sold as souvenirs after her performances. Look at the poster of the actress as Hamlet and you can see why. Mucha created a larger-than-life figure of the diminutive Bernhardt in a classic pose of firm masculinity. This he surrounded with Hamlet's ghostly dad, the drowned Ophelia wreathed in flowers, and his famous organic patterning, all to bring focus to the central image. Note the subtle differences between the nearby original charcoal sketch and this finished poster.

But Mucha didn't stop there. He lent his consummate artistry to posters of beer to biscuits to bicycles. But he did this with a flare heretofore ignored by the advertisers of his day. Rather than concentrate on depicting the product, he attempted to portray the enjoyable experience it promised. His 1896 advertisement for Job cigarette rolling papers featured a sensuous young lady nearly engulfed by an avalanche of hair surrounded by wisps of feathery smoke. We need to look hard to even find the cigarette. This whirlwind of sweeping tresses became another of Mucha's trademarks. His poster for the British company Cycles Perfecta concentrates on a young girl's face, while her long flowing locks almost obscure the bike itself.

There is a selection of oil portraits through which Mucha had hoped to make his mark as a painter. While these pictures of Czechs and Slavs, along with family members, may contain certain elements of style and finish, they carry an air of romantic sentimentality. It is obvious that Mucha was much more comfortable and connected with his posters, which are, by far, considerably richer in content and more dynamic in scope.

Take the time to examine Mucha's personal pocket-size sketch books, the pages from his pedagogical sketch books, and the Zodiac, Precious Stones, and The Stars decorative panels -- which begin to hint strongly of his interest in mysticism. The final section of this breathtaking show contains some of Mucha's oil-on-canvas studies for his gargantuan The Slav Epic. The actual 20x25' finished panels are on permanent display in Moravia, so we can only imagine the power of this 20-year-long project. From earrings to hundred-foot-long walls, Mucha typified the glory and vitality that was Art Nouveau; and we have been given the occasion to bask in all of it.

The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Call 799-4406.