Trip to Prague: Alfonse Mucha

I’ve always been a fan of Alfonse Mucha but once I arrived in Prague I was obsessed, determined to soak up as much Mucha as I could.

Alfonse Mucha was a celebrated Czech artist in the late 1800s/early 1900s who epitomized the Art Nouveau era with his decorative paintings, murals, posters, illustrations and products. Born in 1860 in Moravia, which is now incorporated into the Czech Republic, he moved to Vienna to work and study set design at a theatrical design company. He moved to Paris in in 1887 to further his artistic studies at Académie Julian and Académie Colarossi while also producing illustrations for magazines and advertising. A stroke of luck of being in the right time at the right place, he was in a print shop and found out they needed a poster immediately for a play featuring Sarah Bernhardt. The ad drew lots of buzz and Bernhardt was so impressed with it, she gave Mucha a six-year contract to produce all of her theatrical posters. His career soared after that and his distinct style now graced paintings, posters, advertisements, and book illustrations plus jewelry, carpets and wallpaper.

Mucha became weary of being labeled an Art Nouveau artist and moved to Prague to pursue more serious minded art projects. His crowning achievement is the Slave Epic, a series of 20 mammoth paintings measuring approximately 20 X 26 ft. depicting the history of the Slavic and Czech people. I was lucky enough to view them on my last day in Prague, as they are going on loan in January to China and other places for the next two to three years. I’ve posted photos below of the extraordinary series but it’s difficult to truly gasp the size and scope of them.

The Mucha Musuem was a bit of a disappointment, as there were only a few dozen posters shown but there was an informative short documentary, which made my visit worthwhile.

The Municipal House is another Art Nouveau gem from 1912 which today is a civic hall, concert hall and  ballroom,  plus it contains cafes and restaurants. I went on a tour of the building and in one of the private function rooms next the concert hall, was a series of stunning Mucha murals.

I’ve also posted other photos below of the beautiful private function rooms of the Municipal House.

Slav Epic

Slav Epic

Slav Epic

Below are other photos of the beautiful interiors of the Municipal House.

New Yorker cartoonist extraordinaire Sam Gross will be part of a group exhibit put on by L'association les Humoristes at Galerie 21, at 21 rue Dauphine, 75006.

Date: Nov. 14-26,opening/vernissage November 17, Beaujolais Nouveau day, from 6PM-10PM

 Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 3, 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

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New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 195 euros per person (about $210)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
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Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

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