The Phillips Collection Presents Timeless Mucha: The Magic of Line
The Phillips Collection Will Be the First Stop for a Major North American Retrospective of Czech Artist and Key Figure of the Art Nouveau Movement, Alphonse Mucha
The Phillips Collection, in collaboration with The Mucha Foundation, announces the North American tour of Timeless Mucha: The Magic of Line, a groundbreaking exhibition that reappraises the work and influence of artist Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939). Organized by the Mucha Foundation, this major exhibition will premiere at The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, on February 22, 2025, and will be on view through May 18, 2025. The exhibition will then travel to the New Mexico Museum of Art, Sante Fe, NM (June 20–September 20, 2025); the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL (November 19, 2025–March 1, 2026); the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO (April 11–August 30, 2026); and the Museo Kaluz, Mexico City, Mexico (October 8, 2026–February 8, 2027).
Timeless Mucha surveys Mucha’s revolutionary contributions to graphic design and explores the enduring influence of his signature style, rediscovered by later generations of artists. Featuring over 100 works, the exhibition traces Mucha’s artistic evolution—from his early training to his emergence as a leading figure of the Art Nouveau movement—showcasing his intricate linework, flowing forms, and highly stylized designs that transformed poster art, commercial illustration, and visual aesthetics worldwide. In the 1960s, Mucha’s distinctive style found new life in the vibrant poster art of the counterculture movement—becoming a trademark of psychedelic rock posters and album covers, influencing iconic bands like the Grateful Dead and The Rolling Stones—as well as comic books, Japanese manga, and murals.
“We are thrilled to host the North American debut of this important exhibition, which demonstrates how Mucha’s revolutionary style continues to resonate across diverse artistic genres and generations,” says Jonathan P. Binstock, Vradenburg Director & CEO at The Phillips Collection. “By pairing Mucha’s iconic art with contemporary works influenced by his vision, this exhibition speaks directly to the Phillips’s legacy commitment to showcasing the history of modernism, from its roots in the past to its most recent expressions.”
Organized into thematic sections, Timeless Mucha delves into Mucha’s foundational studies, shaped by his Moravian boyhood, classical training in Munich and Paris, the vibrancy of fin-de-siècle Paris, and his relationships with other artists, all of which influenced his unique artistic style. A key moment in Mucha’s rise to fame was his collaboration with French actress Sarah Bernhardt, whose theatrical portraits propelled both of their careers to new heights. The exhibition also focuses on his groundbreaking posters and designs that elevated the graphic arts to a respected art form. Inspired by botanical forms, Mucha’s sinuous, organic style and idealized figures—often called le style Mucha—defined the visual aesthetic of the early 20th century. Widely accessible to the public through advancements in mass production and a flourishing publishing industry, Mucha’s magazine covers, books, postcards, decorative panels, calendars, and more became part of everyday life. “Art is… as eternal as man’s progress… Art is therefore in a continuous state of development,” stated Mucha. The artist’s designs formed a template for the Art Nouveau movement, influencing both the artistic and commercial realms.
“Alphonse Mucha’s designs were grounded in his belief that beauty could speak directly to the soul,” says Tomoko Sato, curator at the Mucha Foundation. “For Mucha, art was about more than technique—it conveyed moral and emotional depth, making it accessible to all. Through harmony of line, color, and proportion, his work evoked emotions and created a dialogue between the viewer and the piece, blending aesthetics with a purposeful message.”
“Mucha’s pioneering posters were more than advertisements; they were a means to make art part of daily life,” says Renée Maurer, associate curator at The Phillips Collection. “Through his designs, Mucha created moments that resonate, and his legacy lives on in the way we experience beauty and emotion through line and form.”
Other sections examine how Mucha’s work was rediscovered by later generations of artists. His fluid lines and decorative elements became a hallmark of 1960s psychedelic rock posters and album covers, influencing iconic bands like the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and The Rolling Stones. Mucha’s visual language also made a lasting impact on Japanese manga, where his stylized forms can be seen in the work of artists such as Hideko Mizuno, one of the first successful “shojo manga (girls’ comics)” artists in Japan, and others. Underscoring his enduring influence, the exhibition will pair classic Mucha works with contemporary examples they inspired, from the cover of a 1969 album for Diana Ross & The Supremes to Joe Quesada’s comic book illustrations. The show will feature a diverse array of posters, drawings, book illustrations, and designs, as well as artifacts from Mucha’s personal collection, including Japanese prints, and works that decorated his studio, which he called a “Cathedral of Beauty.”
Timeless Mucha celebrates Mucha’s creative genius and offers an in-depth look at how his revolutionary style transformed graphic arts. The balance between commercialism, accessibility, and the power of decorative beauty remains a signature of his legacy.
VENUE & DATES
The Phillips Collection: February 22–May 18, 2025
New Mexico Museum of Art: Jun 20–September 20, 2025
Boca Raton Museum of Art: November 19, 2025–March 1, 2026
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO: April 11–August 30, 2026
Museo Kaluz: October 8, 2026–February 8, 2027
EXHIBITION ORGANIZATION & SUPPORT
The exhibition is organized by the Mucha Foundation and curated by Tomoko Sato, curator at the Mucha Foundation. The coordinating curator for the presentation at The Phillips Collection is Renée Maurer, associate curator at the museum.
The presentation of this exhibition at The Phillips Collection received essential support from Robert and Debra Drumheller and Paul W. Killian and Carole Goodson.
EXHIBITION CATALOGUE
The exhibition is commemorated with a beautifully illustrated catalogue produced by Mucha Foundation Publishing in collaboration with ARTBOOK | D.A.P. Featuring insightful contributions from Tomoko Sato, curator at the Mucha Foundation; Kelli Bodle, associate curator at the Boca Raton Museum of Art; Camille Brown, associate curator at The Phillips Collection; Aimme Marcereau Degalan, senior curator of European arts at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art; and Christian Waguespack, head of curatorial affairs and curator of 20th century art at the New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe, the catalogue offers commentary on Alphonse Mucha’s legacy and influence.
IMAGE GALLERY:
High-resolution press images are available upon request. Please contact Lauryn Cantrell, lcantrell@phillipscollection.org.
IMAGE: Alphonse Mucha, Poster for ‘Salon des Cent 20th Exhibition’, 1896, Color lithograph, 63 x 43 cm., Courtesy of the Mucha Trust.
ABOUT THE PHILLIPS COLLECTION
Founded in 1921, The Phillips Collection promotes art’s shared healing power by creating an innovative space where art encourages dialogue and self-discovery among visitors. The museum houses one of the world’s most celebrated Impressionist and American modern art collections and continues to grow its collection with important contemporary voices. Its distinctive building combines extensive new galleries with the former home of its founder, Duncan Phillips. The Phillips’s impact spreads nationally and internationally through its diverse and experimental special exhibitions and events, including its award-winning education programs for educators, students, and adults; renowned Phillips Music series; and dynamic art and wellness and Phillips after 5 events. The Phillips Collection’s extensive community partnerships include Phillips@THEARC, the museum’s satellite campus in Southeast DC. The Phillips Collection is a private, non-government museum, supported primarily by donations.
THE MUCHA FOUNDATION & MUCHA MUSEUM
New Mucha Museum opens at the Savarin Palace in Prague
The Mucha Foundation is delighted to announce that the Mucha Museum, a new exhibition space dedicated to the work of world-renowned Czech artist Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939), will officially open its doors on January 24, 2025. Situated in the historic centre of Prague within the breathtaking Baroque setting of the Savarin Palace, which has been exquisitely restored by Czech property developer Crestyl, the Mucha Museum promises to be a new cultural landmark that explores the work and life of a defining figure of the Art Nouveau and one of the world’s best known Czech artists. https://mucha.eu/