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ALFONS MUCHA IN THE MUNICIPAL HOUSE

Not many places in Prague can boast original and comprehensive work of the world-renowned Czech painter, Alfons Mucha. The Municipal House, a national cultural monument and a prestigious showcase of Czech art at the beginning of the 20th century, presents the entire range of Mucha´s work.

The Municipal House, one of the most prominent and beautiful art nouveau buildings in Prague, even after 100 years of its existence has remained and outstanding reflection of the quality of czech painting, sculpture and decorative arts at the beginning of the 20th century. Artistic decoration, in which the most prominent czech artists shared, evinces the high quality of Czech painting, sculpture, architecture as well as arts and crafts and decorative arts, and the multifaceted character of Czech cultural life of that time. For artists as well as for those who commissioned their work, the chance to participate in its decoration was also a matter of prestige.

Thus it was understandable that Alfons Mucha was invited to contribute to the decoration of the Municipal House interiors. He immediately engaged in decorating Mayor´s Hall. At the time, Alfons Mucha (1860 – 1939) had earned his renown in Paris (posters for Sarah BErnhardt, decoration of the pavilion for the World´s Fair in Paris in 1900, important illustrations) and had worked in the USA.

When he was asked to participate in the decoration of the Municipal House, Mucha had been deliberating the creation of an extensive work The Slavic Epic, The theme of Slavic concord, tradition and historic roots of the Czech nation, the programme of national self-determination became central in the decoration of the interesting interior of Mayor´s Hall. The idealization of his nation and emphasis on positive national characteristics symbolized by prominent figures from Czech history, all inspired Alfons Mucha to this major artistic achievement.

The ability of Alfons Mucha´s work in the Municipal House to astound persists to the present day for several reasons; the overall harmony of ht interion, the pastel colours of paintings and related stained glass window decorations, the inventiveness in the selection of historic personalities, the very technical execution as well as the selection of materials selling his cartoon sketches at a relatively high price to the city, donated the final versions of canvas to the city for free, charging only for the material, because of its nationalist intent and the building´s significance.

source: www.obecnidum.cz

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