Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) was a Czech artist who became the defining figure of the
Parisian Art Nouveau movement. His lush, stylized posters—especially those featuring actress
Sarah Bernhardt—made him internationally famous. Despite this commercial success, Mucha
was deeply patriotic, considering his true masterpiece to be The Slav Epic, a monumental
series celebrating Slavic history. Personally, he was a devoted family man whose life tragically
ended shortly after enduring a grueling interrogation by the Gestapo.