A free virtual exhibition of 15 works by Alphonse Mucha that you can walk through in your browser, on desktop or phone, with nothing to install. The room brings together Gismonda, the poster for Sarah Bernhardt that made him famous overnight, and JOB, his celebrated cigarette-paper advertisement, alongside theatre posters, commercial designs and plates from Documents Décoratifs.
About Alphonse Mucha
Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) was a Czech painter and designer born in Ivančice, Moravia. After studying in Munich he moved to Paris in 1887, where he worked as an illustrator for magazines and books. His breakthrough came at the end of 1894, when he designed a poster for Sarah Bernhardt's production of Gismonda. It appeared on the streets of Paris around New Year 1895 and caused a sensation; Bernhardt signed him to a contract to design her posters, sets and costumes. Over the following decade his tall, decorative compositions, with their flowing hair, halo-like circles and soft colors, became so closely identified with Art Nouveau that people spoke of "le style Mucha." He also designed advertisements, calendars, jewelry and pattern books. In later life he returned to his homeland and devoted many years to The Slav Epic, a cycle of twenty monumental canvases on the history of the Slavic peoples.
Highlights in this room
Gismonda (Sarah Bernhardt)
Bernhardt appears life-size in Byzantine robes, holding a palm branch, in an unusually tall and narrow format. The muted golds and mauves were very different from the bright, punchy posters of the day. This is the image that launched Mucha's career and his long partnership with the actress.
JOB
A woman with an extravagant cloud of hair holds a lit cigarette, its smoke curling into the same arabesques as her locks. The brand name is woven into the decorative background like a monogram. It is one of the most reproduced advertisements of the Belle Époque.
Zodiaque ("La Plume")
Designed as a calendar for the Paris magazine La Plume, it shows a woman in profile framed by a great disc carrying the signs of the zodiac. The jeweled headdress and the circular halo became recurring Mucha motifs. The design proved so popular that it was issued in several versions.
The Seasons
Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter are personified as four women, each set in her own landscape and color key. Decorative panels like this were sold to be hung at home, not pasted on walls as advertising. They brought Mucha's art into ordinary interiors.
How to enjoy the exhibition
- Look for the "whiplash" line. Mucha's contours are thick and confident. Walk up to a work and follow a single outline around hair, drapery and border.
- Notice the lithographic color. Each color was printed from a separate stone, so the palette is built in flat, layered tones rather than blended brushwork.
- Find the halo. Many posters frame the figure with a circle or arch. Compare how the motif changes from Gismonda to Zodiaque and The Seasons.
- Read the lettering as design. Click a work to read its label, then see how the title or brand name is drawn as part of the ornament.
- Compare art and commerce. Move between the theatre posters, the advertisements and the Documents Décoratifs plates to see one style serving very different purposes.
If you enjoy this room, continue to the Aubrey Beardsley virtual exhibition for the black-and-white side of the 1890s, or the Toulouse-Lautrec virtual exhibition for another master of the Paris poster.
Create a room like this for your own work
This room was built with Xibit360, the same tool any artist can use. You can light and frame each work individually, set the mood with themes and layouts, exhibit video works alongside still images, and embed the finished room on your own website. An illustrator or poster designer can show a full campaign or series side by side, each piece with its own label. It is free to start, and upgrades are one-time purchases, with no subscription.
Know an artist who should see this?
If you know an illustrator, designer or painter whose work deserves a space like this, send them this page. They can walk through the room above to see what is possible, and picture their own work on the walls.
FAQ
Is the Mucha virtual exhibition free?
Yes. The exhibition is free to visit in your browser, and you can walk through all 15 works at your own pace.
Can I view it on my phone?
Yes. The same walkable space works on desktop and on phone, so you can explore the room wherever you are.
Which Sarah Bernhardt posters are in the room?
The room includes Gismonda, Lorenzaccio and La Dame aux Camélias, three of the posters Mucha designed for Bernhardt, together with an early chalk drawing of the actress.