Alphonse Mucha

For the first time in Lyon, the Grand Hôtel-Dieu is hosting a solo exhibition dedicated to Alphonse Mucha. A founding figure of the Art Nouveau movement, Mucha created an image of women that came to symbolise the Belle Époque era.

• The artist: Born in 1860 in Ivančice, Moravia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), Mucha trained in Vienna, Munich, and Italy before settling in Paris in 1887. His collaboration with the actress Sarah Bernhardt, which began in 1894, marked a turning point in his career, giving rise to the ‘Mucha Style’ characterised by sinuous lines, floral motifs, and female figures. He subsequently devoted part of his work to The Slav Epic, a series of paintings dedicated to the history of the Slavic peoples. He died in 1939.

• The exhibition: Bringing together more than 90 original works, including posters, drawings and paintings, it traces how the female figure emerged as a central theme in the artist’s work. Serving as a common thread, it takes viewers on a journey through a world where theatre, advertising, photography, nature, spirituality and Slavic identity intersect. Six thematic sections trace this evolution, from theatrical heroines to the birth of modern advertising and ornamental figures inspired by nature.

The exhibition is curated by art historian Giulia Silvia Ghia. It is produced by Arthemisia and Fever.