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ALPbCASE LUCHA i LECTURES ORART iCc a as ALPHONSE MUCHA LECTURES ON ART A supplement to “The Graphic Work of Alphonse Mucha ACADEMY EDITIONS - LONDON A double exposure self-portrait of Alphonse Mucha, 1905, Opposite: Design fora porcelain plat. 199 SP MARTIN'S PRESS * AEC YORKOther books on Alphonse Mucha TRE GRAPBIC WORK OF ALPRONSE MUCHA Jiri Mucha, Marina Henderson Alphonse Mucha won lasting an immediate fame with a paste designed in 1894 for Sarah Berahardt. From then on his name ahd talent were inexteaby linked othe rt Noweau and to that most public medium oF ant communication, the postr. Mucha’s graphic work, his posters, neous, calendars, postards and mens, ae his best Known and ost ‘idly reproduced design, the summation to modern eyes of te languid Clegance characteristic of Paris in the Belle Epoque, and this the st fxtempt to Tit and eli al of his printed works ina fully annotated Catalogue. Richly usted, with over forty pages incolout and edited by Jiri Mucha, whose knowledge of his fathers work is unalled t's imaluabl sous fr all clecon and students of ths period aad medium, The Graphic Work of Alphonse Mucha, with its companion volume, Alphonse Mucha’s Lectures on Art, represents the most comprehensive and detailed view of Mucha’s techniques and achievements as a graphic designer. ALPHONSE MUCHA Jiri Mucha, Marina Henderson, Aaron Scharf This isthe second edition ofa book which, when frst published in 1971 achieved wide popularity and helped to stimulate beth the reaver af interest in Mucha andthe evaluation ot his work, Revelane ents include an entely new scion on te long opted Sos apn: Gee ee the most comprehensive and fully Mustatedntodccn ieee or ‘Alphonse Mach, careful tracing his entre in Bask snd enya coy placing his ie within the artiste cimate ofthe ince en ALPHONSE MUCHA PHROTOGRAPBS. Graham Ovenden Mocha’s experiments wth the camera, till noel atthe turn oft czar. ange rom inmate views of hs Tamiya ends Studi ‘of the cabrately pond modes appearing In ha ond fh design, Graham Ovendn has asenbed one et eet tve images including veal fom Muchas 1915 oar Pants en imo a poral review which es the say Warm and ecient Michal photography and is penonaly First published in 1975 by Academy Editions 7 Holland Street London W8 SBN 85670 296 X S52 444g Copyright © Academy Editions 1975, All rights reserved First published in the U.S.A. in 1975 by St. Martin's Press Inc. 175 Fifth Avenue New York N-¥. 10010} 7 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 73-89571 Printed and bound in Great Britain at Burgess & Son (Abingdon) Lid. YOREWIORD Alphonse Mucha was the most celebrated graphic artist of the Art Nouveau. Although he is, perhaps, best known for his posters advertising the plays built around Sarah Bernhardt, Mucha extended his activity into many fields of design, from jewellery to bank notes, while his unerringly graceful vision of women and flowers was reproduced on menu cards, calendars and silk Panneaux. Mucha’s artistic language is the most complete summation of the decorative style popular from the turn of the century to the outbreak of war in 1914, and even afterwards, when Mucha returned to Prague and was able to express his fervent Czech nationalism in his art, elements of his immediately identifiable technique are still clearly present in his work. Le Style Mucha has become almost synonymous with Art Nouveau, and Mucha’s idealization of young women appealed both to his contemporaries as the perfect distillation of charm and elegance and to us as an apt evocation of the Belle Epoque. ‘As with most of the great decorative and ornamental designers of the past, Mucha was eager to stress the originality of his schemes, to publicize his achievement and to make his unique vocabu- lary of artistic detail widely available to other craftsmen. His famous Documents Décoratifs was an encyclopaedic source book of schemes for every branch of the applied arts, and this commit- ment to the codification of his designs can also be seen in the later Figures Décoratives and in other similar books, projected but never realized. The Lectures on Art belong to this tradition and were an attempt by Mucha to explain in words the compositional techniques and choice of forms which are clearly present in his graphic oeuvre. Their appearance here marks the first time that these discussions, invaluable for understanding Mucha’s special talents and appeal, have appeared in print, and they constitute an historically important glimpse into the methods and inspiration of one of the acknowledged masters of graphic art. Alphonse Mucha’s Lectures on Art is designed as a supplement to the previously published Graphic Work of Alphonse Mucha. These two books should be viewed as companion volumes, the principles and standards in one serving as the aesthetic basis for the practical realizations docu- mented in the other. Mucha’s thoughts on the problems facing the graphic artist offer the most reliable guide to the essential elements of Art Nouveau design, and his discussion of the balancing of masses, the harmony of the human body and the use of colour give a first hand explanation of the characteristics underpinning his own art. The importance and clarity of these lectures have been increased by the inclusion of a series of Mucha’s sketches and diagrams, some of them exquisite exercises in miniature, which undoubtedly were designed by the author to illustrate his theoretical points. Moreover, a representative selection of Mucha’s own work documents the close relationship between the artist’s aesthetic principles and his finished designs, making this collection of lectures one of the most penetrating and valuable analyses, in words and images, of his achievement as a graphic designer.ALPRONSE MUCHA ChRONOLOGY 1860-1939 Zodiac. Panneau and calendar. 1896, ‘The model in profile is framed by a border which emphasizes the circular characteristic of the Zodiac chart. 1860 1871 175 1879 1881 1883, 1885 1887 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1897 1899 1900 July 24. Born in Ivanice, father Andreas Mucha, mother Amalie née Mala Leaves the local grammar school and is accepted as a scholar at Petrov Church, Brno. Returns to Ivanice to work as a court clerk. Applica tion to the Prague Academy turned down. Goes to Vienna to work as a scene painter for the Vienna Ring Theatre. Leaves Vienna after the theatre has burnt down and {20¢8 to ive in Mikuloy painting portraits for a living, Count Khuen commissions him to paint frescoes for” the dining room at his castle, Emmahof. Leaves for Gandegg to paint frescoes for the Count's brother at the family castle. Subsidised by the Count, attends the Munich ‘Academy, ‘Autumn, Goes to Paris with Masek and joins the ‘Académie Julian. Summer. Returns to Hrusovany via Neufchitel for the summer vacation. Autumn. Leaves the Académie Julian for the Académie Colarossi. Moves to the Latin Quarter in Paris. The Count’s subsidy ceases, and Mucha has to accept commissions to earn money. Ilustrates short stories for La Vie Populaire, Zlata Praha, Le Figaro Ilustré, La Vie Parisienne, Le Monde Mlustré, Revue Mame, No8l Iustré, L’Mlustration and others Moves to a studio in Rue de la Grande Chaumiére, which he shares, for a time, with Gauguin. Begins to receive commissions from the publisher Armand Colin for book illustrations, one of the ‘earliest being for Xavier Marmier’s Contes des Grand- mires. December. Designs the poster for Sarah Bernhardt in Gismonda, and this success is followed by a series of ‘commissions for posters for Sarah Bernhardt's plays. Signs an exclusive contract with the printer Cham- - Leaves Rue dela Grande Chaumiére to go to a studio in Rue de Val de Grace. The illustrations to Isée are the last he does in the studio in the Rue de la Grande Chaumiére. June, Holds his first one man exhibition at the Salon ‘des Cent gallery. Champenois begins to publish his ‘graphics as postcards and menus and suggests that Mucha design a series of decorative panneaux most of which would be printed on silk. Prepares for the exhibition at the World Fair, Paris, 1900, and is commissioned to design the décor for the Bosnia-He 3 Pavilion. The World Fair. Publishes Documents Décoratifs and announces Figures Décoratives. Designs his first pieces of jewellery. Holds an exhibition at Vienna. 1903 1904 isi 1912 1913 1915. 1918 1919 1921 1924 1928 1936 1938 1939, Meets Maruska Chytilova. Begins work on his paint- ing, Quo Vadis March. Goes to America and is met by demands for commercial work. May. Returns and works on Figures Décoratives. Between 1904 and 1913 he visits ‘America six times Becomes engaged officially to Maruska and designs fan engagement ring for her. June. Marries Maruska and goes to Pec in southern Bohemia for the honeymoon. September. Maruska accompanies him to America ‘Commissioned to decorate the German Theatre in New York. Leslie Carter asks him to design costumes, scenery and posters for her production of Kassa. Jaroslava is born. Mucha goes to America to start work on the portrait of Mrs. Leatherbee. He is given the commission to paint the murals for the Lord Mayor's Hall in the Prague Municipal Buildings. Charles Crane agrees to finance the painting of The Slav Epic. Goes to Bohemia to begin work on the Lord Mayor's Hall, Sketches the frst designs for The Slav Epic. First three canvases of The Slav Epic are completed. January. Goes to America to work on the portrait of Mrs. Leatherbee. Returns and tours Poland and to collect material for The Slav Epic. Jiri is born. Designs stamps and banknotes for the new Czecho- slovakian state. First eleven pictures of The Slay Epic exhibited in Prague and then sent to be exhibited in America Holds exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum and the New York School of Design for Women. Repaints Quo Vadis. Returns to Prague. Goes to Mount Athos (the Chilander Monastery) and gn his return paints Mount Athos, part of The Slay Epic. ‘September. The Slay Epic is officially handed over to the city of Prague, but Mucha continues work on the paintings until his death. ‘Summer. Exhibition is held for Mucha in the Musée du Jeu de Paume. He and his family return to Paris ‘and Mucha works in the studio of Chéret who had ‘become blind) Mucha and family return to Prague, and Mucha begins designing his three pictures The Age of Reason, The Age of Love and The Age of Wisdom, but does not actually paint them. Despite illness in the Autumn he begins to collect and write his memoires. Mucha is among the first to be arrested when the Germans invade Czechoslovakia. He is allowed to return home, but his health is impaired by the ordeal. July 14. Dies. Buried in Vysehrad Cemetery.é Friendship. Colour lithograph. The positioning of the hands indicates Mucha’s concern with the harmony of three points, LECTURE OW ART The aim of art is to glorify beauty. And what is beauty? Beauty is the projection of moral harmonies on material and physic planes. On the moral plane, beauty addresses itself to the evolu- tion of the spirit, and on the material plane, it addresses itself to the refinement of the senses through which medium it reaches the soul. The expression of beauty is by emotion. The person who can communicate his emotions to the souls of others is the artist. To communicate with the souls of man the artist must address himself to the senses of the body. To arouse the interest of the senses, to awaken them to his speech, the artist must know how to charm. This charm consists in the perfect harmony which should reign between the media of communication employed and the faculties of senses which he addresses. This harmony between the suggestion of the artist and the senses is memory, the first condition of beauty. The second condition is the perfect harmony between the suggestion of the artist and his emotion. The third and last is that this emotion should have for its inception a moral both virile and eternal. The work which fills these three conditions is a work of art. Its creator, the artist himself, was formed by the sentiment of altruism. It is impossible for him to enjoy egotistically an emotion; on the contrary he will find no peace until he succeeds in communicating the emotions of his own soul to the souls of others, even at the price of laborious work, and his greatest joy will be that of seeing other souls also vibrating with the happi- ness of his emotion. The value of the emotion to the artist is proportional to his moral evolution. He who is enveloped in dust will inevitably see but dust, but to him who elevates him- self to the mountain tops, immeasurable fine days are open. The present work has in no way the pretension of being perfect. On the contrary it should be judged only as an accumulation of the ideas and the results of observation of an adorer of nature, who, in love with nature’s lines, proportions, light and colours, has but tried to find the means by which divine nature may speak to the soul. How she awakes in our hearts joy and happi- °ness by the simple lines, proportions and colours of a small flower! How by the same means she overwhelms with a sensa- tion of nothingness the poor human, when standing at the foot of a noble mountain whose glacial summit, crowned by the roses of the setting sun, rises majestically into the eternal azure! The indications contained in this book, do not merit the name of rules and precepts for the making of works of art. There will always remain, even under the most favourable circumstances, a gap in the perfect understanding of an object of art, which separates a living man from a marvelously sculptured statue of heroic proportions. It is for the artist to explore into his own soul and emotion. We said in the preceding lines that a complete work of art should fill three essential conditions: first, is a perfect harmony between the forms of expression and the senses which are addressed; second, is the harmony between these forms and the emotion of the artist; third, is the harmony between the emotion of the artist and a moral truth. It will carry us too far now to consider all of this important material at once. We shall therefore stop only to say a few words about the first and return to the others later on. To specialize once more, let us interest ourselves in the visible manifestations of the art of painting, sculpture and architecture. Painting and sculpture address themselves to the sight. In order that we may express work destined to be seen by the eye, and in order that the eye may be agreeably impressed it is necessary to know, first, the physiological condition under which the eye may be best satisfied in its function of sight. We know that in the orbital cavity the eye can move in many directions, with the assistance of various muscles. There are four important ones, and each, by contraction, can turn the ocular circuit in the direction of its contractions, that is to say, up, down, to the right, and to the left, by the combinations of muscles. By the combined use of the muscles, one can also make an unlimited quantity of movements. We shall see then that in order to follow a direction in space the eye is put into action by a contraction of a given muscle. The longer the distance to be traversed by the eye, the greater will be the duration of the con- 0 ALPHONSE MUCHA LECTURES ON ART Le Quartier Latin, cover. Colour lithograph. 1900. Les Chansons éternelles, cover. 1898, CRNELLES traction of the muscle. Therefore, each contraction of the muscles is an effort that, in the end, results in greater or lesser degree of fatigue. This fatigue is understood by us as an un- pleasing feeling of dissatisfaction, and we express ourselves by saying ‘This line is disagreeable’. Thus we know that the beauty ofa line is in direct relation with the fatigue of the muscles of the eye which looks upon it; that this beauty of line consists of the agreeable sensation produced by the reciprocative action of the muscles of the eye. This harmonious work of all the muscles translates itself in our understanding into comfort, and we say of this line that it pleases us. In general, the more the line is capable of alternately exercising and resting the muscles of the eye, the more agreeable it will be to the eye, and consequently, beautiful. We know that to follow a line to the right, a single muscle will be commissioned to carry the eye the length of this direction; consequently the longer the line, the more disagreeable will be the fatigue of the muscle. We can facilitate the work of this muscle by creating a point of rest in its journey. For this distance to be agreeable to the eye this point cannot be placed at random but should correspond equally to the same conditions of the eye or to contractive habits of its muscles which almost every- where have become second nature. The placing of this point is made imperative by the refined sensibility of the eye, exercised by the study and contemplation of the harmonies of nature. ‘There are certain proportions which serve as principles accord- ing to which all organic nature appears to be built up. The loving eye of nature and of her forms has accustomed itself to these proportions in such a way that it loves to find them else- where, particularly in the creations of art. These proportions correspond approximately to the ratio of IT and IIT, In fact, if we look about us it will be difficult to find in organic nature a single form which does not carry this formula in its proportions asa sort of mark of an author or the master of eternal harmony. The human figure, its bones, muscles and organs, all maintain the law of this proportion. Each bone, each attachment of the muscles, each curve which expresses the contour of a muscle or of any part of the body is constructed according to'this law, and this will occasion bothsurprise and satisfaction to those who care to verify the rule of proportion in the human skeleton or on the living body. Atro- phied members, or such whose present use does not correspond with their original function, it is evident, will be exceptions for the proportions of principal points, retaining them ordinarily in the details. Also one part of the proportion often covers a corresponding part, at the point of harmony, which in the mechanism of an organic body is not necessarily always at a joint or ramification. It will be found that not only are the principal points in the human body placed in different harmon- ious relations in the proportions of II to III, but also that the entire parts and the details in each member carry out this law to astonishing details. This same proportion of measurement of the human body also applies to the measurement of animals, insects and even to forms of the vegetable kingdom. In the prototype of the insect for example, the length of the entire body appears to be divided into five parts. Three parts comprise the stomach, and the remaining two parts belong to the thorax and the head. The thorax is divisible into three parts, and two parts remain for the head. In the examination of the smallest sinuosity of the legs or the wings, they will be found to be placed according to this rule. Plants in their growth also conform to this law, and it will be impossible to discover a leaf, a bud, a flower, or fruit which will not bear it out in its construction with perfect precision. It would carry us too far to mention here the great quantity of organic life which serves practically to verify this law; their verifications being everywhere conclusive. They have led us to recognize the mystery, fundamental in the construction of organic beings and in weighing strength and resistance, a law of proportion of which the formula is II to III. Visible nature, seen through our eyes, surrounds us with rich and harmonious forms. The marvellous poem of the human body, those of animals, and the music of the lines and colours emanating from flowers, leaves, and fruits, make themselves incontrovertibly educators of our eyes and our taste. With great facility, in fact, the eye becomes accustomed to that which it sees most often, and this is also true in cases of harmony 2 ALPHONSE MUCHA LECTURES ON ART ster for Bigres de la Meuse (detail). 1897, of proportion seen around us in living nature. The cultivated eye looks with avidity for these harmonies and finds them agreeable wherever seen; but, on the other hand, when necessary to disturb these customary looks, a fatigue will be felt, and this is translated to the understanding as displeasure. Exterior form is a language which appeals to the sense as the art of music, which, to give pleasure, should be harmoniously directed to the different nerves of hearing, avoiding all combina- tions of sound that tire these organs. Similarly, the arts of paint- ing, sculpture and architecture, being addressed to the eyes, should fulfil the conditions which are most agreeable to them. In one case they should avert the weariness of the muscles of the eye and also should try to conform as much as possible to the habits of the eye in its function of sight, by offering pro- portions to which it is most generally accustomed, and which consequently will tire it the least.If the stem is to be decorated, its point of interest will come likewise in a section having the proportion of II to III at the top or below. If we wish to decorate the body, the same harmony of the parts, which should be emphasized by rational decoration, is called for. In this way the decoration of two feet or of two stems, and even the minor details, leaves or mouldings, will be ordered accord ing to this law. The object thus created will carry a reflection of the perfect harmony to which the eye is accustomed in living nature. And the eye which looks upon it will not only perceive it without fatigue but will also understand it as the familiar language of the artist. Itis very important to place harmoniously a point of interest in any geometric form. The law of proportion of which we have just spoken will be to us a key, which will facilitate the solution of this problem. If we are given a square to ornament with a decorative motif or to fill by a figure composition we will have to do with a point of interest, which to be agreeably seen by the eye of the spectator, should be placed in harmony with the lines that surround it. This spot can easily be determined by the use of our law of proportion of II to III. We have created a point that will be in harmony and which will consequently be the most agreeable in relation to the length and height of our square. It is this point that indicates the place where we shall put our point of interest in our composition. As is easy to see, we can, by this law, create four different points, which in this square might serve as places where the points of interest of the composition might be most pleasingly placed for the eye. If the square should be ornamented by decorative motives, and if the designation of this square permits us symmetrical ornamentation, one of these points will serve as a source of strength and point of departure of all the principal lines. The same, or a similar process, will serve to find the place of the point of interest in other geometric forms. It is on one of these points that in order to make a pleasing impression on the eye we will place either the personage or the most visible part of the personage, or if the harmony were to be in colours, we would put the most important colour. If the 4 drawings showing the placement of the points of interest in @ portrait, a ‘group of figures and a landscape composition designs demonstrating the location of the principal points of interest in a circle and a squarestructure ofan oblong, square or rectangle permits a symmetrical decoration, we would choose one of these points as a point of departure of the principal lines and as a centre of force; in a circle, an ellipse or an oval the process of placing the point of interest is the same. Construct around a circle or an ellipse a square or an oblong and we will proceed exactly as in the rectangle which will give us the four different points of interest. The lunette and all the other geometric figures, triangle, pent- agon, hexagon, etc. are treated in the same manner in deter- mining the points of interest. This law will not only be useful to indicate to us the locus in the plan of a geometric form, where we could place advantag- eously our point of interest, but also it will guide us to a higher valuation of the object that we have designated for the place as, for example, where we wish to place a head, perhaps, as the point of interest in a given picture. This might occur in a figure composition but will almost always happen in a portrait. The problem is that of placing the head in harmony with the ensemble of the lines surrounding it. This is possible in many ways; let us choose one to serve as an example. We desire that a face should be placed to the best advantage in the frame. To establish a harmonious proportion of a point in a geometric plan of a figure, we began by seeking for the point of division in the sides of this given geometric form. We can proceed in a reverse sense by placing our point of interest first, and in seeking to establish about it the appro- priate and harmonious space and the geometric form. Begin by tracing the form of the head, the neck, the shoulders, the attachment of the arms. The figure being seated gives us several important points which serve as bases for the construction of the frame. These points will be the point at the top of the head, the point at the bottom of the head, the point of the knees and the point of the body as far as the seat. Desiring to give importance to the head, we will take the length as three parts and complete the entity of the harmony by two equal parts of the space from the top of the head to the frame. We can take the length of the head for II parts and can com- plete the total five points by adding three parts of the space between the top of the head and the frame. In this case the ALPHONSE MUCHA below: study of a seated figure bottom: drawing showing the multiple ‘points of interest created by a seated figure Zodiac. Panneau and calendar. 1896. ‘The model in profile is framed by a border which emphasizes the circular characteristic of the Zodiac chart.See Fe = i LECTURES ON ART background would have a certain importance. These two pro- portions are those which appear most agreeable to the eye and, in addition, the most advantageous for the object of interest in our composition. All other relations risk a disagreeable impres- sion for the eye of the spectator, and this might prove much more serious if it were a question, as in the present case, of an clement of prime importance, the head of the principal figure. In effect if the space between the top of the head and the frame is diminished and the harmonious proportion is excluded the frame will appear to crush or engulf the head. It would seem that the moment has come to make a digression. If we can thus establish a law of harmony and its application to art, one must not believe on this account that the artist will find é ‘Summer and Autumn. Panneaux. ¢. 1900, ‘compositions based upon a seated figuresketches illustrating an appropriate and a misjudged positioning of a figure in a rectangular composition below and right: designs document- ing the application of the rule of harmony in plant forms no opportunity for the expression of his individuality in the making of a composition. No! this law should only constitute a canon of proportion, which surrounds us everywhere in nature and according to which organic bodies are created. This law can be compared to the canons which teach the proportion of an ideal face. If we follow this canon we can be sure of not making great mistakes of proportion in the construction of the different parts of the face. But the artist who wishes to express a certain type of soul animating this face will, very often and most. emphatically, deviate from this rule. When it is a question, pure and simple, of the most agreeable impression to be made upon the eye, that is to say in the composition that only aims to depict and translate the emotions of the soul, in other words in art purely ornamental and decorative, this law can, and in fact should, be applied to the smallest detail. A trained and refined eye will unconsciously follow this law in 20 LECTURES ON ART BARMONY OY THE TRREE POINTS its application with assurance, in the largest masses and the smallest detail and without hesitancy will avoid other inhar- monious proportions, for it will guide the hand of the artist. For a sensitive eye, lack of harmony of line, masses, or colours produces true physical suffering. By the same procedure we found the length of the stem most in harmony with the leaf. We took this length as three and com- pleted the harmony of the five parts by two for the stem. How- ever, we could equally have taken the length of the stem for three parts which would have fixed the length of the leaf at two parts. In both cases the proportion is harmonious and would suffer a change with difficulty. ap Up to the present we have only spoken of the harmonious relationship between two lengths, which, like the two sides of an angle, oscillate around a point in no matter what direction, the sides being made in harmony with the lengths, one of two parts and the other of three. Now it is not the lines, but the points that we desire to place as harmoniously as possible in mutual relation. The second point in a harmonious composition would never be placed either horizontally alongside the first or vertically above or below the first. Why? Because wishing to produce an agreeable impression, the eye will prevent us from moving it to a purely horizontal or vertical position unless we are obliged to by other rules, of which we will speak later on. A vertical line, as a horizontal line, gives to the eye no parti- cular pleasure. The first line, that is to say the horizontal one, is the simple repetition of the placing of our two eyes, which are equally horizontal. The idea of the vertical line, as in the preceding one, is allied with the condition of our body. This is the repetition of its vertical disposition. Moving the eyes from top to bottom we judge vertical objects from the point of view of their relation with the height of our body. The eyes are so often charged with these two functions, the judgement of both length and height, that finally the aspect of these two horizontal and vertical lines becomes more or less deprived of lively pleasure. One can compare the sensation with that of looking at the colours black and white. These two colours ordinarily serve but to judge of the intensity of light. If we wish to delight the 2retina we will supply it with blue or red or other colours, and black and white will serve but to augment their fire. We have therefore disposed of the problem of placing of two points. It will now be a question of placing the third to be in harmony with the two preceding. It should be to follow our law of pro- portion at a distance, which would be with the distance between the first two points in a proportion of II to III or of III to IT. First we will proceed with the vertical line passing through the two points. This distance we will divide in I and complete the harmony of five by the addition of the three other parts, in the direction right or left. It is therefore somewhere on the extended line that we shall find the third point. This determining of three harmoniously related points is 2 left and above: drawings showing the harmonious placement of three points in relation to a horizontal line figure composition clustering of masses axis with a harmonious s along a diagonal MN oN extremely important in general composition, especially in decorative composition. We can, in fact, translate these simple points by objects, by figures, by heads, masses of clouds, flowers or purely linear motives, and everywhere we can be certain that the elements of composition will impress the eye agreeably. If these points are determined by objects, they would be supposed to be in the centre of gravity of the spot representing these objects. For example, in the accompanying sketch, we see the application of this rule in the harmonious placing of heads. It would seem that the result of this construction would be ever the same, and that in the end the works of art constructed by this process would become monotonous. But such is not the case. If we observe the works from the past ages and those of ‘our own day, we will find this law of harmony has been in no 2way contrary to the great diversity in the production of the art ALPHONSE MUCHA that we now admire as the miracles of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, | Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance styles, even up to the mani- festations of art by the most modern artists. In effect, knowingly or unknowingly, this rule has served as a basis of construction in almost all of these remarkable works. ap Before speaking of this application of art, it will be necessary to TRE \, know the part art has to fill in this mission. Here is the first and most important fact: art and its form should serve asalanguage (APPLICATION to the object or to the forms to be decorated. For this it is O¥ ART TO | __ indispensable that decorative painting, in its lines, in its forms and its colours, should be subordinate to the character andthe = DECORATION purpose of the object or the form to be decorated. The more logically the accord of the ornament is expressed with the character and the utility of the object to be decorated, the greater the certainty of the ornamentation and the higher the artistic merit. architecture, a column, Of what use is a column in architecture? It has a double use; it carries, and it supports. It should resist the attraction of the earth. Its solidity should be in direct rela- tion with its efforts, that is to say it should possess enough force to attain easily the height of the utility. An architrave in stone should never be supported by a column in wood, but rather a harmony of forcés should prevail between its strength | and resistance. An architrave in wood would have no reason for | 1 } | As an example of this theory we can take an element of classic | | i being supported by formidable columns in stone. The attraction of the earth, as resisted by the column, works towards the centre of the earth, in a direction that is always vertical to the surface of the terrestrial globe. If the effort of a | column js efficacious, it should be opposed to this attraction in | an exactly opposite direction, which would, of course, always be vertical to the surface of the earth. The direct source of strength of a column would be in the vicinity of the force to be overcome, that is to say, the column would be strongest at'its base. We will now observe its different function; first, that of its base, which should resist the attraction % LECTURES ON ART of the earth and retain the right to raise itself up, and second, that of the cap, which should assist the effort of the column to carry easily that which it is made to support. In the first case, the base of the column should not be set directly on the ground or on a sub base but should rest on interpolated bases. The profile of this by its more or less flattened curve will indicate the amount of weight with which the foot of the column bears on these several bases. Asin the trunk of a tree, two distinct forces are combined: one at the base, directed towards the earth, and the other above, whose trend is in an opposite direction, forming the trunk of the tree with its crown. Thus in the column these two directions are manifest and show the artist the various treatments to be used in the ornamentation of these different zones of action. While at the base of the column a pattern chosen for its ornamentation cannot be used except from the height to the base, it is also true that a design for the ornamentation of the cap should conform to the direction of the action of the superior part of the column, that is to say, from the base to the top. The flowers, whose foliage ornament its capital, indicate its joyous victory, the result of its successful resistance to the attraction of the earth, and the proud ease with which it carries the architectural mass that it is given to support. To emphasize the impression of solidity and reserve force it carries sometimes other. architec- tural details such as acrotera, which often have no other use than to fill the spectator with added confidence in its force. The language that the artist has lent to this column is the following: ‘Firmly I put my foot on the neck of the earth, I hardly oppose its resistance in combating its attraction, and, proudly, I carry into the heights the heavy masses that man confides to my care. I shall acquit myself of this mission with ease, and joyously, my head crowned with flowers. My forces instead of being exhausted by the weight that I carry, can still play with the masses entirely at my own pleasure.’ It is thus that each ornament should be the eloquent language of the object to which it is applied. It should emphasize not only the character of the object and its designation but also order or arrange harmoniously the elements chosen for this end. 25The simplest form which often serves as a motive for decoration TRE is a point. We can make this point more important or more interesting by emphasizing its character. The character of a ELEMENTS OF points, if we can thus express ourselves the vsibleenlargement §— -)FCORRC\PION of a mathematical point, equally and in alll directions, which corresponds to a circular plane. If, in its ornamentation, we wish to emphasize one direction more than another, the character of the point will be destroyed, and we will have created an entirely different form. If we wish See to emphasize its character as a straight line we have to augment sigs iltstrating posible methods equally its expression of direction and its width. We can arrive at this result in several ways. First, by parallellines harmoniously | ——_ disposed, or by curved lines which at different intervals touch | 17 or come near to it. A single curve, touching or approaching a line, will completely destroy to our eye the impression of straightness. This optical illusion forms an element of great importance in the harmonious employment of lines, and we will often return to this in the course of our studies of composition. A border is nothing else than an amplified line emphasizing the sides of a plane. It has, therefore, the same characteristics to be observed as in the decoration of a simple line, that it to say, its directness and its equality of width. Each element and each line that might destory this character should be avoided. It would be sufficient, if by the use of parallel lines we could emphasize the two parallel lines which mark the width of the border. For these two lines are the essential characteristics of this border, and it is for this reason, also, that they should be the only source of all the force employed in its ornamentation, That is to say, that the lines ornamenting the border should be born on the lines outlining the border. It would be impossible to make use of other ornament for a border without destroying its effect of directness, unless the forms used could originate from the lines forming the exterior of the border, thus making these lines more important and heavier, by emphasizing their form and underlining them with parallel lines. Now we will a. look at other geometric forms to study the ways in which we might apply our theory for their ornamentation. First, we will take the square. To ornament it, that is to say to emphasi character, itis first necessary to become perfectly familiar with 26LECTURES ON ART it. The characteristics of a square are the four angles at 90 degrees joined by the straight lines of the same length. The form described by these four lines also has character. It is flat. We will have, then, to proceed logically, to commence by emphasizing the most important characteristic, which is the four angles of 90 degrees. If we efface the four lines that join the below: scheme for a portrait in profile with a decorative border angles, and if we retain only the four points marking the square, Emphasizing the fundamental ae : entre ccna the impression produced on our eye, the general aspect of this figure, will be identical with that produced by the aspect of a bottom: a selection of ornamental 2 - borders. square surrounded by lines. If we emphasize then, in no matter what manner, the four corners of the square, this could, if necessary, suffice entirely for its decoration. If, on the contrary, we wish to emphasize only the lines and to omit completely the angles in the square, the impression pro- duced by the aspect of this figure recalls to us neither a circle, nor a polygon, but, with difficulty, a square. In this last case, the ornamentation has destroyed that which it should render more beautiful by emphasizing it. ‘After having emphasized the angles we can occupy ourselves with the sides. The sides are straight lines for the ornamentation of which we apply the same rules which we have spoken of earlier. In describing a circle, for example, in a square figure, the sides of the square will appear bent over and the angles in consequence more acute. This we must remedy by attracting by some points of interest the points of the angle towards the periphery of the circle. Under these same conditions the circle can easily be replaced by a spiral figure. But never for the ornamentation of a square or a circle, can an ellipse be employed which, by its characteristic length, is entirely for the decoration of an oblong, and it is equally impossible to employ a circle for the decoration of an oblong. One sees from this that it is not a matter of indifference which lines are chosen to ornament a form both harmoniously and logically. The same principles are to be observed in the orna- mentation of a triangle and of all other geometric forms, the character, the plan of the figure and its designation. A page from Documents Décoratfs. 1902. Up to this we have treated angles and the sides of geometric 31forms to be decorated. We now have to speak of two no less important characteristics which must not be neglected. First the character of these figures, and also their use. In order not to destroy the flat character of a figure one must employ in its decoration only flat surfaces. Each impression of perspective would destroy the sensation that we should feel on seeing a flat figure. Under these conditions it is shown that the employment of all elements, which by their nature indicate differences of plane cannot be used. But one must make direct use of new planes created by harmonious lines arranged and enhanced by flat tints. The second circumstance, as we have said, is the given use. In fact, it is not sufficient for the ornamentation of a square to emphasize the angles of 90 degrees, to make the sides appear very straight and to avoid employing elements in perspective which might destroy its flat aspect. It is also necessary that the ornamentation employed should indicate the use or the function of the square. Thus the ornamentation follows according to the use for which it is intended in different places. Suppose the square should ornament a ceiling or the floor of a room, In its horizontal position, each point, each part of its composition should have equal importance; this form should seem to be a point radiating equally in all directions and limited by the sides of a square, instead of by a periphery of a circle. The lines employed in its ornamentation should respond, by their direc- tion, to these radiations from a point which will be found in the centre of the form. The elements which should accentuate the four corners should be identical in all the four angles of 90 degrees. The same square employed to serve in the ornamentation, for example, of the wall of a room can have two different aspects. First, the aspect of a square standing upright at the base of a wall, then a square in suspension, which will indicate the junction of the ceiling with the wall. In the first case, the source of its force, from which accrues the ornamentation, will not be found in the centre of the square, but rather at its base at the point of contact with the ground. This is to indicate its resis- tance to the attraction of the earth. ALPHONSE MUCHA drawings suggesting the various ‘methods for the application of surface ornamentation to rectangles and triangles LECTURES ON ART From this point, which expresses the balance of the masses, can be found the axis of all the motives employed in the orna- mentation, which carry the lines and the harmonious propor- tions, symmetrically emphasizing the two sides of the square. The suspended square will be in its essential characteristics, exactly the contrary of the preceding one, and of course it will also have a different axis. The source of its forces will be found in the points by which the square is suspended, the lines radi- ating from this point. The facts of which we have spoken in the employment of the square apply equally to no matter what geometric forms employed under the same conditions. The employment of a triangle would easily illustrate this theory. At the base of the wall the triangle would be held upright on itsgreater base; at the top it would be suspended by the most solid part, that is to say, by its lesser base enabling its point, which is the lightest, to hand downward. On the ceiling it can- not be employed in any special direction but equally in all directions. A border running around a building, holding together its four walls, has to express by its ornamentation their solidity, and would always resemble the body of a cord or of the joined links of a chain. Never can one use vertical lines that are disjointed in place of these links. Another example is the cover of a book. To decorate the cover of a book it is necessary to know, as always when the question of decorating an object arises, its character and its use. Its character is first of all the solidity of the material that has ordinarily the form of a flat rectangle, serving as a protection for the leaves of the book that it covers, the leaves being attached ALPHONSE MUCHA. ‘cover's function through its decoration LECTURES ON ART designs explaining the functional characteristics of book covers: to the back. It must also bear the title of the book. If we watch the process of binding, we shall see exactly what is meant by the construction of a cover of a book. The leaves are sewn together on one side with thread. To attach these leaves to the cover, the ends of the thread will be braided, and after the back of the book has been put in the space allotted for it in the cover, the ends of the braided threads are flattened fan-shape and glued against the two inner sides of the cover. This arrangement should be recognised as part of the ornament, that is to say, the ornament should emphasize the action and the signification of each part of the cover. The most important part, the greatest source of all strength in this cover, would certainly be the bank near the back of the book, where, by the fan-shaped threads, the entire book is attached to the cover. It is, therefore, this band which should be the first to be empha- sized. This can be done in various ways from a simple parallelline which outlines this side of the cover more than the other sides to the complicated ornament which could fill the field contained in the parallel lines at the back of the book. The direction of the threads holding the book together is always at the angle of 90 degrees in relation to the back, and it is imperative that the axis of the ornament should explain this arrangement of lines. In the spreading of the threads, effecting the form of a fan, it is evident that the distribution of the orna- ment which best illustrates the mechanical action of the cover will be the most correct. Each drawing that does not emphasize the structural side of the cover is not a decoration for a cover, properly speaking, ‘be- cause isolated from the book and seen separately it would never clearly indicate for what it was designated. It could serve equally as a card, a leaf, a menu, a panel, but nothing would indicate that it was for a binding for the protection of a book that this design was conceived. Thus all characteristic and structural qualities should not only be preserved, rather than overlooked or ignored, but, on the contrary, they should be made more striking by their orna- mentation. The first characteristic of a cover of a book is solidity at the back and should thus be sufficiently emphasized. The function next in importance is to indicate the title of the book on the cover. This function should be most apparent after the indication of the solidity of the binding, and it should not be subordinate to any other decorative motives which also ornament the cover. Itis clear that the letters composing the title should be perfectly legible and as nearly as possible of equal height, placed in a spot where the eye will most easily discover them; also they should not be printed across the sky or on other pictures which may be found on the cover, for this is not ordinarily conducive to the legibility of the title, and it is almost certain to deface the picture by its striking spotting. As the inscription in the book is very important, the artist should take it as the principal element in the determination of % alternative schemes for the ALPHONSE MUCHA ‘ornamentation of book covers and the positioning of the ttle LECTURES ON ART the lines for the placing of the masses in the decoration of the cover, He should make use, as we have said, of the most notice- able positions and place them as harmoniously as possible. These positions, the results of which we have already discussed in the chapter on proportion, should be easy to determine. Divide the length of the book in five parts and we will find two points of harmony between which we can make a choice: one which will show us the proportion of II to III and another in the proportion of III to II. The next characteristic of the cover is the solidity of its rect- angular surface. To emphasize this we have but to reinforce the position of the sides and of its angles by parallel lines. The language which the cover of the book speaks should be complete and comprehensible. The other things that we wish to 37 ee
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