EL MAC ART - STORE

limited edition print release - August 14

please visit this web page to see the purchase link availble at 10am PST

NOLI TIMERE

New upcoming print inspired by the original photograph of the Art Nouveau greatest of all time, Alphonse Mucha, with special thanks to Marcus Mucha, director of The Mucha Foundation base in Prague, Czech Republic. We are thrilled to announce the release of a limited edition serigraph planned for August of 2026. Join the email list for updates and access to any future presales.

Alphonse Mucha - Art Nouveau's Greatest

Mucha began to take photographs in the early 1880s, probably in Vienna, with a borrowed camera. It was not until he had gained some recognition in Paris and sufficient funds that he purchased his first camera. Mucha’s photographic output grew dramatically after his move to a large studio in the rue du Val de Grâce in 1896. In the new studio, where he had considerably more light thanks to large windows and a glass ceiling, he photographed on a virtually daily basis.

Between 1896 and the early 1900s Mucha made a remarkable series of photographs of the models posing for him. The use of photography as an inexpensive medium for preliminary studies was common among Mucha’s Parisian contemporaries. However, Mucha’s photographs are more than just an alternative to sketches because they also capture the inimitable atmosphere of Mucha’s studio – a world of art in its own right. It was in his studio that that Mucha entertained countless Parisian artists, writers and musicians. It was also the setting for one of the earliest cinematic projections given by the Lumière brothers, whom Mucha had met in 1895, and for psychic experiments with Camille Flammarion and Albert de Rochas. In the background of the studies of models, examples of Mucha’s work may be seen, surrounded by his collection of objets d’art, books and furniture, many of which survive to this day.

The majority of Mucha’s Parisian photographs were not taken for a specific project – he preferred to improvise a number of poses in front of the camera, creating an archive of variants from which he could select what he considered most suitable for the subject of each new commission. However, some photographs were obviously directed, with his friends and models posing as characters for book illustration. Later this practice grew into a part of his experimentation with his models to express his philosophical ideas through theatrical poses and gestures.

Mucha’s theatrical approach culminated in his preparatory work for theSlav Epiccanvases. Before working on each canvas Mucha produced numerous staged photographs documenting costumed models posing under his ‘theatre’ directions. From these photographs he selected appropriate images and synthesised them to create a complicated historical event on a single canvas. Although the images were intended as studies for his final paintings, Mucha’s approach to image-making has much in common with filmmaking.

TEXT AND IMAGES FROM THE MUCHA FOUNDATON

MUCHA FOUNDATION

Mac's modern application from Mucha's original photograph: "Bohemian girl at Zbiroh Castle - 1918"

This beautiful application uses colors that are close to Mac's original acrylic painting on wood panel the acrylic, currently displayed in Miami at Goldman Global Arts, Wynwood Walls. This main edition colorway is an excellent choice for a new collector who wants to own a serigraph that holds or increases in value. For our more seasoned collectors, Mac created five additional variants that speak to different frequencies so you can indulge yourself in what satisfies your soul. Add this fresh piece as an investment to your own collection while displaying something meaningful in your home.