Rare private collection of famed artist Alphonse Mucha debuts at Carnegie

With her long, flowing hair and beautifully delicate face encircled by tendrils of nature, the Mucha woman is unmistakable in the art world.

His signature women, as well as other original works by art nouveau pioneer Alphonse Mucha, will be featured in a new exhibit at the Carnegie Arts Center that opens Sunday. Some 75 pieces from a private collection will be on public display for the first time at the Turlock gallery through Jan. 10, 2016.

“He is recognizable for his art nouveau style for sure. But his history and his personality and all of the other things he did in his career have been under the radar for some while,” said Carnegie Director Lisa McDermott. “He is an artist with the worldwide reputation that Pablo Picasso, Ansel Adams and Edgar Degas have, but maybe he is a little more surprising to people.”

While his name might not be as immediately recognizable as past Carnegie exhibits of internationally renowned artists such as Adams and Picasso, Mucha’s influence can be felt through the ages. Born in 1860 in what is now the Czech Republic, Mucha rose to prominence after moving to Paris in the late 1880s. He is known for his paintings, illustrations, advertisements, posters and designs throughout the early 20th century.

The Carnegie exhibit comes from Los Angeles-based collector Raj Dhawan, who will appear for a free lecture about the show. This will be the first stop for the “Alphonse Mucha: The Golden Age of Art Nouveau” exhibit, which will then go on the road to other museums and galleries nationwide. The show features original oil paintings, pencil and pen drawings, magazine and book illustrations, wall panels, street posters and other advertising ephemera from one of the largest private collections of his work.

The work showcases Mucha’s distinctive, romantic, flowing style – particularly the beautiful women who became a trademark of his aesthetic. Much of the collection comes from around 1890 to 1910, when Mucha’s career began to skyrocket in Paris. That includes works from his collaboration with the famed French actress Sarah Bernhardt. There are also pieces from later after he moved back to Prague and began to focus his work on traditional Slavic themes and imagery.

“His style was based on sensuous beauty, and he found the beauty in organic things like flowers, vines, stars and moons, and then combined all of that with absolutely beautiful and seductive women,” McDermott said. “It is quintessential art nouveau style.”

McDermott said Mucha’s influence extends well past his turn-of-the-century popularity. His style saw a resurgence in the 1960s with hippie and counterculture artists. Many posters and pop artwork from the era reflect his sensibilities.

“Some people may not know his work as well as the reinterpretations of his work in the 1960s,” she said. “His work was revived by the counterculture movement.”

Accompanying the exhibit will be a series of education programs including lectures, concerts, lobby exhibits, family events and school field trips. The free monthly Sunday Arts Lectures series will kick off with collector Dhawan speaking at 2 p.m. as part of the opening day festivities. That will be followed by a lecture from art historian Catherine Anderson on Oct. 18 about life in late 19th century Paris. The next talks will be Nov. 15 on “The Art of Tattoo” by Eric de Oliveira and Dec. 13 on “The Birth of Modern Dance” by Tami Stark-McQueen, both discussing art nouveau’s impact on their respective art forms.

The final series talk will be on the last day of the exhibit, Jan. 10, about Mucha’s influence on the art of psychedelia and beyond, by University of California, Davis, professor James Housefield.

The Carnegie Music Series concerts during the exhibit will also draw from Mucha’s era. Shows will be “Art Nouveau” with the Joe Mazzaferro Quintet on Sept. 22 (tickets $8 general, $5 members), Jamie Dubberly and the Orquesta Dharma on Oct. 20 (tickets $8 general, $5 members), “Blurred Lines” by the California State University, Stanislaus, Jazz Studies combos and ensembles on Nov. 17 (tickets $8 general, $5 members), and gypsy jazz from Hot Club Faux Gitane on Dec. 8 ($15 general, $10 members).

The free monthly Family Friday Series will also offer programming to accompany the exhibit, including a Slavic folk dance performance by the Village Dancers of the Valley on Oct. 23 and a calligraphy workshop Nov. 13. Starting Oct. 14, a companion lobby display called “Organic Designs” from regional artists will be on view for free and run through Jan. 31.

The gallery at the Carnegie Arts Center, 250 N. Broadway, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays and until 8 p.m. Fridays. Exhibit tickets are $10 general, $8 seniors/students, free to members. Call 209-632-5761 or visit www.carnegieartsturlock.org.

This story was originally published September 11, 2015 at 2:34 PM with the headline "Rare private collection of famed artist Alphonse Mucha debuts at Carnegie."