Alphonse Mucha: In Quest of Beauty

by Tomoko Sato, with essays by Alison Brown, Paul Greenhalgh & Claire Allerton, Joanna Meacock and Sandra Penketh, 168 pages

“The Mucha Foundation is delighted to present this beautiful book, which highlights inspirational aesthetic links between Mucha and his contemporaries both in Britain and Europe.”

John Mucha, President, Mucha Foundation

Alphonse Mucha: In Quest of Beauty is a ground-breaking new study on the aesthetic ideas behind Alphonse Mucha's powerful style.

The book accompanies the widely acclaimed UK travelling exhibition of the same name.  It draws on the latest research to examine the theoretical aspect of his work, especially the idea of beauty – the core principle of his art. 

This stunning book includes over 100 works by Mucha as well as works by his contemporaries, selected from renowned Aesthetic and Art Nouveau collections in Britain. It features five specialist essays exploring related themes and provides a new perspective on artistic movements at the turn of the 19th century. 

Reflecting the concept of the exhibition, the book highlights three key themes:

• ‘Women – Icons & Muses’ 

• ‘Le Style Mucha – A Visual Language’

• ‘Beauty – Power for Inspiration’

Whilst the first two chapters explore Mucha’s contribution to Art Nouveau in Paris, the final chapter throws light on his work after his return to the Czech lands.