Music

The Music dates from 1898 and captures the Art Nouveau style perfectly. We find illustrative work here that delivers a classically dressed young woman who is accompanied by elaborate detail right across the illustration.

Mucha remains perhaps the finest Czech artist in history, sitting comfortably alongside the likes of other great names such as Klimt, Beardsley and Gaudi. They all produced a style related to Art Nouveau, though with their own unique take on things. They were also highly skilled in a technical sense and came from a time when craftsmanship was a respected and important part of society. They could all therefore survive in a commercial sense, able to put their talents to whatever their wealthy patrons desired.

We have included a more detailed, larger image below which will help you to make out some of the original detail added by the illustrator, as many will not be able to see this piece in person. There is a theme of nature throughout this piece, with pretty flowers decorating the corners of the artwork, plus a row of birds in alternating colours perched just behind the attractive model. She wears an elegant, flowing dress which also features some ornate jewellery around her midrift, stretching up to her shoulders. She wears a patterned band in her hair and this style of dressing has started to become much more popular again in recent years, reminding many of a classy and desirable life as lived by the well connected members of the late 19th century.

This Art Nouveau painting is believed to now be on display at the Italia Liberty gallery in Rimini, Italy. Previously it was believed to have been in a private collection and many of Mucha's designs were purchased soon after completion, such was the popularity of his work. This interesting venue hosts a collection of relatively modern art, with many items from the 19th and 20th century. They have a number of items by Carlo Casaltoli whose style is noticeably similar to Mucha's, though his career cannot be considered to have reached quite the same levels of fame. There are also a number of other notable draughtsmen to be found here and also a good selection of black and white photography, making it a varied and unique type of collection, and certainly worth a visit for those lucky enough to find themselves close by.