More than Art Nouveau: Exhibition traces Alphonse Mucha’s two visions

Alphonse Mucha's "Zodiac" (1896), left, and "Reverie" (1897) / Courtesy of Mucha Trust

Alphonse Mucha’s (1860-1939) world feels like a dream in perpetual bloom: maidens in draping robes linger in a golden glow, their coiling hair crowned with halos of flowers and looping vines.

It’s the kind of sensual image where a single glance is enough to identify its maker. That instant recognizability propelled the Czech artist to stardom in 1894, when his poster for “Gismonda,” a play starring iconic stage actor Sarah Bernhardt, captured Paris’ attention. His romantic style, featuring what came to be known as the “Mucha woman,” soon spread far beyond the theater, reproduced across furniture, packaging and advertisements for high-end brands.

But even as he became synonymous with Art Nouveau, Mucha altered the course of his career at the turn of the century, devoting the rest of his life to championing Czechoslovakia’s independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. That shift culminated in “The Slav Epic,” a tour de force that took 18 years to complete.

Installation view of the "Alphonse Mucha: The Artist as Visionary" exhibition at The Hyundai Seoul / Courtesy of Acts Management

These two facets of the artist — the decorative and the devotional — come into sharp focus in “Alphonse Mucha: The Artist as Visionary,” an exhibition currently running at The Hyundai Seoul.

Organized in close collaboration with the Mucha Trust, the retrospective brings together 143 objects spanning oil paintings, lithographs, drawings, sculptures and jewelry, 11 of which are designated as Czech National Treasures. Helmed by the artist’s grandson, the Mucha Trust safeguards a family collection of more than 3,000 of Mucha’s works.

“National treasures don’t just go out easily. That’s really quite something special,” said the artist’s grandson, John Mucha, in a video interview with the exhibition team. “That shows you the level of importance that is ascribed to (the retrospective).”

Alphonse Mucha's "JOB" (1896) / Courtesy of Mucha Trust

The first half of “Alphonse Mucha” is devoted to the artist’s Paris years at the end of the 19th century, the period that launched his celebrated career as a master of Art Nouveau and a pioneer of modern graphic design.

In decorative panel illustrations like “Zodiac” and “Reverie,” women are bathed in a soft, luminous light. In alluring poses, some personify the four seasons, flowers and the arts, while others lend their grace to luxury brands such as Moet & Chandon Champagne.

Notable in Mucha’s practice was his embrace of reproduction. He actively encouraged his images to circulate widely by appearing on calendars, advertising posters, perfume bottles and biscuit boxes.

“I was happy to be involved in an art for the people and not for private drawing rooms,” he once said. “It was inexpensive, accessible to the public, and it found a home in poor families as well as in more affluent circles.”

Alphonse Mucha's "Madonna of the Lilies" (1905) / Courtesy of Mucha Trust

Alphonse Mucha's "Self-portrait" (1899) / Courtesy of Mucha Trust

His lyrical style, however, took a decisive turn several years later. In 1899, the artist was commissioned by the Austrian government to design promotional posters for its pavilion at the 1900 Paris Exposition, as well as the interior decoration of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Pavilion. At the time, Bosnia and Herzegovina had been annexed by Austria-Hungary for several decades.

Though initially pleased by the assignment, Mucha’s perspective shifted after a research trip to the Balkans, where he witnessed firsthand the cultural and political hardships endured by his fellow Slavs. He found himself agonizing over the irony of working for the empire while his own people suffered under its rule.

“This was what my precious time was being spent on, when my nation was left to quench its thirst on ditch water,” he wrote. “I swore a solemn promise that the remainder of my life would be filled exclusively with work for the Nation.”

Installation view of "Alphonse Mucha: The Artist as Visionary" at The Hyundai Seoul / Korea Times photo by Park Han-sol

The second half of the Seoul exhibition thus turns to Mucha’s paintings, drawings and murals from the years when he stepped away from the Parisian art world to pursue what he saw as a larger mission — first in the U.S., and then in his homeland of Czechoslovakia.

In paintings like “Slavia,” “The Light of Hope” and “Woman in the Wilderness,” his subjects now appear in folk costumes, transformed into vessels of national spirit.

The artist’s vision of a new Europe — one shaped by independent Slavic states — ultimately culminated in “The Slav Epic,” a cycle of 20 monumental murals tracing the shared history, mythology and long struggles of the Slavic peoples. Too large and fragile to travel outside the Czech Republic, the masterpiece is represented in the show through preparatory studies and media installations.

Alphonse Mucha's "Slavia" (1920), left, and "The Light of Hope" (1933) / Courtesy of Mucha Trust

“(His art) comes from a small nation which has had difficult times, but I think there are certain similarities there (with Korea). There are aspirations. There are also threats,” John Mucha said. “In this turbulent climate, his art is sort of the anchor, which a little yacht is anchored to in stormy waters. I hope that people go into the exhibition and get inspired and leave with their souls comforted.”

“Alphonse Mucha” runs through March 4, 2026, at The Hyundai Seoul.