Alphonse Mucha11

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Murals by Mucha in the Lord Mayor's Hall, Obecní Dům (Municipal House), Prague (1910-1911)

The Obecní Dům (Municipal House) is a municipal centre for social and official gatherings. Designed by architects Antonín Balšánek and Osvald Polívka, it is a temple to Czech Art Nouveau and venerates both eastern and western art.

Several prominent Czech artists of the day were enlisted to decorate the interiors. Mucha was commissioned to decorate the circular salon of the Lord Mayor's Hall.

Mucha's designs celebrate the heroic past of the Czech people and the unity of the Slav nations. The Slavic Concord on the circular ceiling is supported by eight pendentives on which civic virtues are personified by figues from Czech history. www.muchafoundation.org

Praga, The Obecní Dům (Municipal House)

Praga, The Obecní Dům (Municipal House)

The circular salon of the Lord Mayor's Hall

Today, the building is used as concert hall, ballroom, civic building, and as the location of cafes and restaurants

The Slavic Concord on the circular ceiling is supported by eight pendentives – which are spandrels in the form of spherical triangles – on which human virtues are personified by prominent figures from Czech history

The Slavic Concord on the circular ceiling

Design for the Slavic Concord

Mucha not only designed the pictorial decoration of the ceiling, walls and space above the doors, but also the textiles, ornaments and all the details

Window panes were designed by A. Mucha and installed by V. Stanek and J. Sebek

Three wall panels portray representatives of Slavic youth who swear their allegiance to the

mother nation

"Humiliated and tortured you are but you shall be revived, my country!“

Mural 'By Own Strength I' at the Lord Mayor's Hall, Obecní Dům, Prague (1910-1911)

"Humiliated and tortured you are but you shall be revived, my country!“

Mural 'By Own Strength I' at

the Lord Mayor's Hall, Obecní Dům, Prague (1910-

1911)

"With strength towards

freedom, with love towards

concorde"

mural 'By Own Strength II' at

the Lord Mayor's Hall, Obecní Dům, Prague (1910-

1911)

"Saint Mother of Nation, accept the love and enthusiasm of your sons!"

Mural 'By Own Strength III' at the Lord Mayor's Hall, Obecní Dům, Prague (1910-1911)

According to Mucha's design doorway curtains were sewn by the students of the City Industrial Continuing School

The curtains have been preserved and renovated

Original furniture provided with an interesting silver finish was made by J. Krejcik

Two decorative panels, set in the heater guards above the sofas are replicas of the original colored drawings by A. Mucha. The original drawings can be seen at the Museum of the City of Prague

Decorative panel, set in the heater guard above the sofa

The ceiling fresco "Slavic

Concorde" with an eagle in the

centre is "carried" by

eight pendentives on which human

virtues are shown,

personified by Czech historical

characters

Jan Zizka, as ‘Military Prowess/

Belligerence‘

Study

Jan Amos Komensky, as ‘Trust/Loyalty/Faithfulness’

Jan of Pernštýna, as ‘Creativity/

Creative Force‘

‘Creative Force‘And

‘Vigilance‘

The Chodové (medieval Bohemian border guards), as ‘Vigilance‘

‘Vigilance‘

Jan Rohac of Duba,, as

‘Steadfastness/Intractibility’

Spandrel featuring Jirí of Podebrady, as ‘Independence’

Spandrel featuring Jan Hus,

as ‘Justice’

Eli!ka Premyslovna,

(mother of Charles IV), as

‘Maternal Wisdom’

Mucha badge freemasons Among his many other accomplishments, Mucha was also the

restorer of Czech Freemasonry

His Art Nouveau style was often imitated. The Art Nouveau style however, was one that Mucha attempted to disassociate himself from throughout his life; he always insisted that rather than maintaining any fashionable stylistic form, his paintings were entirely a product of himself and Czech art. He declared that art existed only to communicate a spiritual message, and nothing more; hence his frustration at the fame he gained by his commercial art, when he most wanted to concentrate on more artistic projects.

Maruska at Cape Cod 1909

Mucha "wanted to show that the Slavs were very attached to art and not to arms," after the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz-Ferdinand in Sarajevo by a Slav nationalist, said Jean-Louis Gaillemin. The assassination, which occurred in 1914, sparked off World War I

Sound: Antonín Dvořák: Violin Concerto in A minor Op.53 (B108) II. Adagio ma non troppo Chung Kyung-Wha, Violin)

Text and pictures: InternetCopyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanuwww.slideshare.net/michaelasanda