The Master of Art Nouveau(a)|新艺术大师：慕夏

by Timothy Laird

Often imitated but never duplicated, Alphonse Mucha's works come to Taiwan.

There are very few artists like Alphonse Mucha. The great combination of this Czech artist's aesthetics and commercial sense made him very successful during his lifetime. As a leading figure in the Art Nouveau movement, Mucha questioned the traditional separation between fine and applied art and made people rediscover the beauty in everyday objects. Mucha's unconventional method to create art confused his contemporaries. His distinctive style was dubbed Le Style Mucha, which became almost identical to Art Nouveau in its earliest sense.

Mucha's contribution to design was influential, and his impact has persisted even to this day. His commercial posters and other decorative works have long been an inspiration for modern artists, and there have been a lot of imitators. In his lifetime, Mucha produced a wide variety of successful commercial works, including paintings, postcards, and advertisements. He also designed book covers, jewelry, window displays, and exotic interiors.

As one of the leading characters of the Art Nouveau movement, Mucha started his career as a poster designer and painter. Unlike many artists living lives of poverty and obscurity, Mucha became well-known and was already a celebrity when he was in his thirties. In 1895, he became an overnight sensation in Paris when the poster he designed for Sarah Bernhardt, an international superstar, was posted in theater houses around the city. He continued to work with Bernhardt for six years and created theater bills, jewelry, costumes, and set designs for her plays. Meanwhile, he also produced advertisements for commercial products, such as cigarettes and wine.

新艺术大师：慕夏

慕夏的艺术风格常被模仿，但从来没人能画出精髓，而现在他的作品将来台展出。

　　很少艺术家能像慕夏一样。这位捷克艺术家巧妙兼具美感和商业思维，使他在世时十分成功。慕夏是新艺术运动的领导人物，他质疑纯艺术和应用艺术的传统分野，让人重新发掘日常物品之美。慕夏创作艺术的非传统方式让同时代的人感到疑惑。他的特殊风格被称为『慕夏风』，在最初期可说是等同于新艺术运动的代名词。

　　他对设计的贡献影响深远，而且其影响延续至今。慕夏的商业海报和其他装饰作品长久以来启发了现代艺术家，并且有许多人模仿。慕夏一生中创作许多成功的商业作品，包括绘画、明信片和广告。他也设计书籍的封面、珠宝、橱窗展示品，以及异国情调的室内装饰。

　　慕夏身为新艺术运动先驱之一，起初职业为海报设计师和画家。不像许多艺术家生活贫困又默默无闻，慕夏在 30 几岁时就已为人所知，而且是位家喻户晓的名人。1895 年，当他为国际巨星莎拉‧贝尔娜设计的海报张贴在巴黎各剧院时，他在一夕之间造成轰动。他持续和贝尔娜合作了 6 年，为她的演出制作剧院海报、珠宝、服装和布景设计。同时，他也为烟酒等商业产品制作广告。