Art of the Poster Talk with Kelli Bodle

Before Art Deco took the world by storm in the 1920s and 1930s, the organic, flowing lines and soft forms of the Art Nouveau movement flourished across art, architecture, and the decorative arts during the turn of the 20^th century.

Alphonse Mucha, known as “the father of Art Nouveau,” reached overnight success after designing his famous Gismonda poster for theatre grande dame Sarah Bernhardt in 1895. Captivated by Mucha’s distinctive style of pastel colors, long, narrow compositions, and intricately decorated halos, members of the Parisian public swiftly took to the streets with the hopes of claiming his designs for their own collections.

As one of the most in-demand commercial illustrators working in turn-of-the-century Paris, Mucha’s design interpretation of “the Modern Woman,” featuring freely flowing hair, innate sensuality, and unabashed indulgence in modern excess, achieved wide circulation. At the same time, his commercial artworks created distinct brand identities that made companies such as Moët & Chandon and Legouey & Delbergue synonymous with decorative elegance.

Hear directly from Kelli Bodle, curator at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, as she discusses how Alphonse Mucha’s Art Nouveau poster designs went beyond pure advertising to reach the level of fine art. 

See more at Timeless Mucha: The Magic of Line, organized by the Mucha Foundation, on view at the Boca Raton Museum of Art until March 1.