It's arguable that the beautiful Sarah Bernhardt (the famous French actress) was the world’s first international celebrity, and when Czech artist Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) painted her, the posters of the painting quickly became ubiquitous in Paris, and were ripped from the streets by collectors as soon as they were pasted up. Now, the work of this art nouveau maestro is on at the Art Gallery of NSW (AGNSW) this winter, in a Sydney exclusive, Alphonse Mucha: Spirit of Art Nouveau. The most comprehensive exhibition of the artist’s work ever seen in Australia runs through to September 22.
Alphonse Mucha: Spirit of Art Nouveau is the first exhibition of historical art presented in the Art Gallery's recently renamed Naala Badu north building, which opened at the end of 2022 as part of the Sydney Modern project.
The exhibition explores his full oeuvre, drawn from the Mucha Family Collection and featuring 200 works from the artist's five-decade career, including paintings, illustrations, posters, jewellery, photographs, sculpture and even an immersive digital experience.
Alongside Mucha’s work, the exhibition also features a selection of Japanese prints from the Art Gallery’s ukiyo-e collection, which were popular during Mucha’s time in Paris in the late 19th century, which influenced the art nouveau style. Plus more recent art inspired by the countercultural rediscovery of Mucha’s work.
This major winter blockbuster leads AGNSW’s 2024 exhibition program, which brings the human figure to the fore alongside the annual Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes.
Tickets for entry to Alphonse Mucha: Spirit of Art Nouveau start at $35 for adults, with discounts avaliable for concessions and groups. Hot tip: you can score two-for-one tickets on Wednesday evenings between 5–10pm, when the gallery is open late. Grab your tickets over here.
Interested in what else is on at the AGNSW this year? We run through it all over here. And for full details of current and upcoming exhibitions and events, visit the Art Gallery website.
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