The Master of Art Nouveau(b)|新艺术大师：慕夏

Starting in June of this year, people in Taiwan will have an opportunity to see Mucha's works first-hand at the National Palace Museum. The exhibition is to be divided into six parts, and the objects on display will consist of his early posters and book illustrations to his later paintings of religious and patriotic themes.

The first section shows Mucha's early works from his time in Paris, where he made his breakthrough drawing theater bills for French actress Sarah Bernhardt. The second section displays his advertising posters and decorative panels. During this period, Mucha developed his graphic style, which was later called Le Style Mucha. In most of these posters, Mucha's use of female figures, flowers, and motifs taken from nature made him stand out from his contemporaries.

The third section features Mucha's works for the Paris World Exhibition of 1900 and from his stay in the United States. Mucha's artistic fame reached its summit during this period. He was already a prominent artist in France, and the Paris World Exhibition helped push his fame even further and make Le Style Mucha a global phenomenon.

Like many artists, Mucha was attracted to the supernatural. In the fourth section, works influenced by mysticism will be displayed to show the relationship between this school of thought and Mucha's artistic style. In the late years of his life, Mucha turned his attention to his countrymen and humanity in general. In the last two sections, his works, such as the masterpiece, The Slav Epic, express the artist's patriotic sentiment and a universal love for mankind.

1.  How did Mucha challenge the separation of fine and applied art?

(A) He thought French women were the most beautiful in the world.

(B) His approach to art was similar to that of other artists.

(C) He insisted on living a simple life despite being famous.

(D) The subjects of his works were everyday items.

2.  What is Mucha's lasting legacy?

(A) His art was often imitated and continues to influence artists today.

(B) He was the first designer to be called a graphic artist.

(C) He was known mostly as a commercial artist.

(D) He was only known in France and the US.

3.  What can visitors to Mucha's exhibit expect to see in the first section?

(A) Descriptions of Mother Nature.

(B) The woman Mucha designed a lot of posters for.

(C) Mucha's works before he became famous.

(D) Paintings of ghosts and other supernatural figures.

4.  What did The Slav Epic do?

(A) It showed how Mucha felt about slavery.

(B) It was Mucha's last piece of work.

(C) It featured several famous patriots of his time.

(D) It showed that Mucha had an unconditional love for man.

　　从今年 6 月开始，台湾民众将有机会在故宫博物院亲自欣赏慕夏的作品。展览将规画成 6 个部分，展品将包括他早期的明信片和书籍插画，以及有关宗教及爱国主题的晚期画作。

　　第 1 部分展示慕夏在巴黎的早期作品，他在巴黎为法国女演员莎拉‧贝尔娜创作剧院海报，这也是他的一大突破。第 2 部分展出他的广告海报和装饰壁板。慕夏在这个时期发展出他的绘画风格，之后称为『慕夏风』。在大部分的海报中，慕夏运用女性曲线、花卉和从自然取材之图案，使他从同期艺术家中脱颖而出。

　　第 3 部分的主要特色是慕夏为 1900 年巴黎世博会所创作的作品，以及他待在美国时完成的作品。慕夏的艺术名声于此时达到巅峰。他在法国已是一位著名的艺术家，巴黎世博会使他更加声名大噪，也让『慕夏风』席卷全球。

　　像许多艺术家一样，慕夏着迷于超自然事物。展览第 4 部分将陈列受神秘主义影响的作品，展现这派思潮和慕夏的艺术风格之间的关连。慕夏晚年转而关注他的同胞和全体人类。在展览最后 2个部分中，诸如他的大作《斯拉夫史诗》等作品，表达出这位艺术家的爱国情操和对人类的大爱。

答案：1. (D)2. (A)3. (B)4. (D)

今年适逢慕夏逝世 150 周年，自 2009 年起，欧洲各地已陆续展开各项主题展览以及回顾活动。2011 年，《文创乌托邦――慕夏大展》将在台北故宫展开，是亚洲巡回的起点，紧接着则巡回至高雄市立美术馆。（数据源：双莹文创，慕夏大展）