Mucha and the Poster

Alphonse Mucha's posters of actress Sarah Bernhardt defined Art Nouveau's popular face. His women — surrounded by flowing hair, flowers, and decorative borders — became the movement's icons. Mucha complained that he wasn't taken seriously as an artist because of his commercial work, but his posters proved that graphic design could be art.

Art Nouveau drew inspiration from Japanese woodblock prints, which used flowing lines, asymmetrical compositions, and flat areas of color. This Eastern influence merged with Western decorative traditions to create a style that felt simultaneously ancient and modern.