maria mucha- portfolio

8/7/2019 Maria Mucha- Portfolio

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- The Slav Epic -


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Alfons Mucha (1860-1939) was a very

influential but seldommentioned figure in thehistory of art. He is morethan anyone elseresponsible for the "artnouveau" style that

developed around theturn of the century andapplied his considerabletalents to a wide varietyof pursuits ranging from

painting and sculpture toposter, magazine, andcalendar illustration, and

product and architecturaldesign.


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The Slav Epic was Mucha's magnum opus. It was

composed of 20 large paintings (measuring 18 by 24 feet)

depicting the history of the Slavs. Critical opinion thoughwas hostile, being out of sympathy with what was seen as

a dated nationalism and academic style.

The sequence is divided equally between Czech and

broader Slavic themes, and is also arranged thematicallyalong allegorical, religious, military and cultural lines. As

well as the time spent composing the paintings, Mucha

devoted considerable energy to research involving travel

throughout the Balkans and Russia; this scholasticapproach resulted in considerable moral and didactic

content.


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The Slav Epic (Photograph in Clemtium, Prague), the seated

figure is Mucha. The first eleven canvases were displayed

in Prague's Klementium in 1919


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y The first three deal with the early days of Slavic history

and are highly symbolic, using the devise of an upper and

lower register

y The next three are centered around specific rulers from the

early middle ages

y The Magic of the word triptych deals with the emergence

of a Slavic religious consciousness

centered around Jan

Huss.

y Finally, there are three

painting illustrating the

effects of the Hussies

wars.


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The Celebration of Svantovit: When Gods Are at War,

Salvation is in the Arts - 1912


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The Bohemian

King Premysl

Otakar II: The

Union of Slavic

Dynasties - 1924


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Jan Milic ofKromeriz: A BrothelConverted in a

Convent - 1916


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Master Jan HusPreaching at theBethlehemChapel: Truthprevails - 1916


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y After the Battle ofGrunwaldu: TheSolidarity of theNorthern Slavs -1924


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The Oath ofOmladina under theSlavic Linden Tree:The Slavic Revival -

1926


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These series establish

the themes of the series

which are:

Celebration of Slavic

love of peace, piety

and learning

Lamentation of the

interference of foreign

oppressors, and the

wars they bring

Pleas for Slavic unity,which finds expression

in Slavic liturgy and

religion


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'I am convinced that the

development of every

nation may proceed withsuccess only if it grows

organically and

continuously form the

nation's own roots and thatfor the preservation of this

continuity, knowledge of its

historical past is

indispensable.Alphonse Mucha

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