Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau

Alphonse Mucha is most often remembered for the prominent role he played in shaping the aesthetics of French Art Nouveau at the turn of the 20th century. The Dhawan Collection, Los Angeles, CA, is one of the finest private collections of Mucha’s work in the United States. Presented in this exhibition are 75 works by Mucha including, rare original lithographs and proofs, an oil painting, drawings, a pastel, and books, posters, portfolios and ephemera. The exhibition is curated by esteemed art historian, Gabriel Weisberg, Professor of Art History, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, who has provided an essay for the exhibition catalogue. The Mucha Foundation has also provided a biographical text about Mucha and a short essay, along with photographs in support of the exhibition.

Mucha’s successes in many fields of creativity are revealed in the exhibition, ALPHONSE MUCHA: MASTER OF ART NOUVEAU, dedicated to the broad range of his work. Organized in three sections – posters, book and journal illustrations, and The Slav Epic – the exhibition focuses on the ways Mucha revitalized an interest in these media. It provides an opportunity to see how the different media, clients and objectives reflect the time period in which Mucha lived and worked.

“Mucha’s ability to understand the major creative themes of the day, to use them in the most original ways possible, and to create works of art that remain seductive for future generations, is truly his great triumph,” writes Weisberg. With objects drawn from the extensive Dhawan Collection, and with the publication of this catalogue, the exhibition provides a new, original way of seeing one of the most prolific creators of fin-de-siècle imagery.

Please Note: No photography will be permitted in this exhibition. Thank you for understanding.

This exhibition is sponsored by Patricia Adsit, David L. Bell and Janet Seiwert Bell, Mrs. J Robert Edwards, Brenda and Steve Fishbaugh, Elizabeth A Frederick, the Ladowski Family, Duane and Carol Lupke, Stephen and Barbara McMurray, Steve and Audrey Riley, Julie Donnell and John Shoaff, Robert and Donna Streeter, and Mark and Kathie Swaim through their contributions to the 2019 FWMoA Annual Fund.