Saturday, September 29, 2007
* World Classic Gallery *
* Alphonse Maria Mucha *
BIOGRAPHY and PAINTINGS Mucha, Alphonse Maria 1860 - 1939
Painter, Printmaker, Czechoslovakia, Art Nouveau
Alphonse Maria Mucha was born in Ivancice, a small provincial town in the Czech Republic.
Mucha started his artistic career as an autodidact. Alfons Mucha had a vocational training in stage decorations in Vienna from 1879 to 1881. In the evening Mucha attended a class in drawing. After a few occasional commissions for decorative paintings Mucha went to Munich in Southern Bavaria.
Here Mucha studied at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts from 1885 to 1887.
After Munich, Mucha moved to the “mecca” of arts, Paris. Here Mucha studied with different teachers. He lived in modest conditions and could survive with small commissions for book and newspaper illustrations. For a short period Mucha shared a studio with Paul Gauguin.
In December 1894 Mucha became famous with a commission for a poster for the actress Sarah Bernard. Sarah Bernard was a very famous actress and celebrity of her time. His poster design for the play Gismonda became a sensation in Paris. Sarah Bernhard was delighted. Mucha received an exclusive contract for six consecutive years by the actress. In the following years, Mucha not only designed all her posters, but her theater decorations and costumes as well. From now on the artist was swamped with commissions for all kind of commercial print advertising.
By this time Mucha had developed his own personal style - characterized by art nouveau elements, tender colors and bycantine decorative elements. And all these elements were ranked around images of fairy like young women with long hair and splendid, refined costumes. In the coming years, this type of female images should become his trademark.
Mucha used lithography as the printing technique for his posters. The posters are usually signed in the block. Some of his posters were produced as sets like The Four Seasons. Complete sets count among the most searched for of Mucha paintings and posters.
In 1890 the artist had his first one man show in Paris with 448 paintings on display. His art work was not confined to the printing media. Mucha designed tissues, stamps and even bank bills. In 1900 Mucha received a commission by the Austrian government to decorate the Austrian pavilion for the World Fair in Paris of 1900. Mucha became also active in designing jewelry.
Between 1904 and 1921 Mucha traveled frequently to the United States. He took commissions in the US and taught art at art academies in New York and Chicago.
In 1939 the German Nazis occupied Czechoslovakia. The popularity of the artist made him a number one target for the Gestapo, the Nazi secret police. Mucha was arrested, interrogated and realeased. Shortly afterwards, Alphonse Maria Mucha died on July 14, 1939 in Prague.
The city of Prague has dedicated an Alphonse Mucha Museum to the artist.
Heraldic Chivalry, Oil on canvas, 35.04 x 53.54 inches [89 x 136 cm]
The Apotheosis of the Slavs, 1926, Oil on canvas
Lefevre-Utile, 1903, Oil on canvas, 20.87 x 28.35 inches [53 x 72 cm]
Portrait Of Milada Cerny, 1906, Oil on canvas, 50 x 35.98 inches [127 x 91.4 cm]
Autumnal, 1896, Panel
Fruit, 1897, Lithograph, 17.48 x 26.06 inches [44.4 x 66.2 cm]
Monaco Monte Carlo, 1897, Lithograph, 29.33 x 42.52 inches [74.5 x 108 cm]
Winter, 1896, Panel
Clash in University Square
The Romanian President Traian Basescu announced he would drop by the University Square today. The PNTCD (National Christian-Democrat Party) and ex President Emil Constantinescu have asked Bucharest inhabitants to prevent "the diversion meant to settle an unrelenting regime".
In May 19 the President claimed he would meet and talk to the Romanians once every three months. As he hasn't done it until now, he is to reach the University Square, Bucharest, today at 6 in the afternoon.
But at 4 Emil Constantinescu is to launch in the same place the "Manifesto for a Clean Romania". Romanian Christian-Democrats are asking President Basescu to drop the meeting and thus avoid violence resembling the one that legitimated Ion Iliescu's regime. They have warned the head of state that they will be protecting the University square revolutionary spirit against him, just as they will prevent him from confiscating and defiling this symbol. (...)
Ovidiu Banches
Ziua Sambata 29 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
In May 19 the President claimed he would meet and talk to the Romanians once every three months. As he hasn't done it until now, he is to reach the University Square, Bucharest, today at 6 in the afternoon.
But at 4 Emil Constantinescu is to launch in the same place the "Manifesto for a Clean Romania". Romanian Christian-Democrats are asking President Basescu to drop the meeting and thus avoid violence resembling the one that legitimated Ion Iliescu's regime. They have warned the head of state that they will be protecting the University square revolutionary spirit against him, just as they will prevent him from confiscating and defiling this symbol. (...)
Ovidiu Banches
Ziua Sambata 29 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
Liberals dismiss President's offer
Some representatives of the PNL (National Liberal Party) reacted to the statements the Romanian President made last Thursday by saying that President Basescu was neither credible enough nor morally entitled to propose that the alliance of the PNL and the PD (Democrat Party) should be rebuilt. They claimed the head of state was the main guilty for the alliance's death.
Liberal Bogdan Olteanu replied that the PNL didn't trust the President's proposals, adding that Traian Basescu's "main concern" had been to destroy the PNL-PD Alliance and the governmental coalition.
According to the Liberal official, the President "managed to kick the Conservative Party out of the government, to break the PNL in two and, last spring, to force the Democrats into choosing faithfulness to Traian Basescu instead of solidarity within the Alliance". He concluded: "Traian Basescu is now claiming to be trying to mend what he broke, but I don't think he is still enjoying the necessary credibility. The Liberals no longer trust Traian Basescu and we can't trust what he offers". (...)
Razvan Gheorghe
Ziua Sambata 29 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
Liberal Bogdan Olteanu replied that the PNL didn't trust the President's proposals, adding that Traian Basescu's "main concern" had been to destroy the PNL-PD Alliance and the governmental coalition.
According to the Liberal official, the President "managed to kick the Conservative Party out of the government, to break the PNL in two and, last spring, to force the Democrats into choosing faithfulness to Traian Basescu instead of solidarity within the Alliance". He concluded: "Traian Basescu is now claiming to be trying to mend what he broke, but I don't think he is still enjoying the necessary credibility. The Liberals no longer trust Traian Basescu and we can't trust what he offers". (...)
Razvan Gheorghe
Ziua Sambata 29 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
Social-Democrats mind President's interference
The PSD (Social-Democrat Party) is against the idea of making a government of representatives from the PNL (National Liberal Party), the PLD (Liberal-Democrat Party) and the PD (Democrat Party), as suggested by the Romanian President last Thursday. The Social-Democrats dislike the President's interference in domestic party matters. Ion Iliescu and Adrian Nastase, targeted by the head of state's critique, wouldn't comment. Ion Iliescu, an honorary president of the PSD, just said he wouldn't lower himself to the President's obsessions.
"Unacceptable interference"
The PSD president Mircea Geoana commented yesterday that the other evening President Basescu hadn't spoken as President of Romania, but as president of the PD. He argued: "The President's speech shows he isn't aware of the historical opportunity consisting in the PSD bill against the government. His approach is narrow and , as a politician, he is trying to take advantage of it".
Mircea Geoana also reproached the Romanian President for expressing opinion on what would follow after the bill too early, describing as "unacceptable" his interference in the domestic life of parties. According to the PSD official, the President's hint at the criminal cases against some politicians is proof that the head of state is using threat and Justice cases as political weapons.
PSD puts up with early elections
Titus Corlatean, a general secretary of the PSD, mentioned the party would agree to the early elections idea, if President Basescu went on supporting instability and political tensions. Ovidiu Natea, a president of the Social-Democrats in the district of Mures, claimed in his turn that the party would never vote for a government headed by a Democrat PM, no matter what the President should do. (...)
Roxana Andronic
Ziua Sambata 29 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
"Unacceptable interference"
The PSD president Mircea Geoana commented yesterday that the other evening President Basescu hadn't spoken as President of Romania, but as president of the PD. He argued: "The President's speech shows he isn't aware of the historical opportunity consisting in the PSD bill against the government. His approach is narrow and , as a politician, he is trying to take advantage of it".
Mircea Geoana also reproached the Romanian President for expressing opinion on what would follow after the bill too early, describing as "unacceptable" his interference in the domestic life of parties. According to the PSD official, the President's hint at the criminal cases against some politicians is proof that the head of state is using threat and Justice cases as political weapons.
PSD puts up with early elections
Titus Corlatean, a general secretary of the PSD, mentioned the party would agree to the early elections idea, if President Basescu went on supporting instability and political tensions. Ovidiu Natea, a president of the Social-Democrats in the district of Mures, claimed in his turn that the party would never vote for a government headed by a Democrat PM, no matter what the President should do. (...)
Roxana Andronic
Ziua Sambata 29 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
Hysterical show
Just as I estimated, Traian Basescu is making use of the whole equipment so that PM Tariceanu will be given the sack next Wednesday, if the bill against the government is successful. On Thursday evening the head of state made a TV1 show for public opinion. It went on yesterday too, but this time on the public radio post. And today he is addressing the 'people' in the University Square, Bucharest. The show is growing hysterical, as the destructive call of the 'president-player' is coming out.
While chatting about his meeting with Mircea Geoana in Cotroceni Palace, Traian Basescu pretended to leak some pieces of explosive information. Three of them are about the PSD (Social-Democrat Party). It is a party the head of state affords to criticize, teach and offer solutions to, despite the Constitution. One piece is his statement that Mircea Geoana is the young wing in a party that should get renewed with people of the same kind and eliminate Traian Basescu's traditional adversaries and it would thus become eligible for any sort of political combination. And for taking over again in the future, the President suggested. Of course there was a bizarre metamorphosis in the President's mind, since the President had offended Mircea Geoana so many times before, humiliating the leader of the largest parliamentary party. Given the direction from the President, Mircea Geoana should start eliminating some party members at once.
Another piece of information dropped is that his meeting with Mircea Geoana in Cotroceni Palace was not a tete-a-tete one. There probably were several participants: the head of state, some one or two advisers, Mircea Geoana, some representatives of the PSD, their names still secret, and some two or three outstanding members of the PD (Democrat Party). Therefore it was not the generous President who provided counseling at the request of the political opposition's leader. Cotroceni Palace housed negotiations, in fact, and in the end they made a pact. I am reminding you that ZIUA was the first publication, if not the only one, to disclose the nature of the agreement made in Cotroceni Palace. Mircea Geoana is forcing the PSD into going all the way with the bill against the government, an initiative supported from the shadow by the National Anti-Corruption Department, the President, the PD and the PLD (Liberal-Democrat Party). It is meant to establish a minority PD government to arrange early parliamentary elections in the spring of 2008, to be held at the same time with the local elections. The PSD gets nothing in exchange for it, but Mircea Geoana gets consolidated as president of the party due to the opening of action, generally of criminal nature, against his domestic rivals. What good business it is for Traian Basescu! But it is spoiled by the very party authoring the bill and refusing to trust Mircea Geoana all the way.
Traian Basescu also mentioned that, unless a government of Liberals and Democrats was possible, without Tariceanu as PM, of course, then he would appoint a Democrat PM after the government collapse. Guess who will become a PM ? But Vasile Blaga has still got to wait. After outlining that he was not the President of all Romanians, but only of those supporting him, Traian Basescu informed us that, after the parliamentary elections, early or not, it would still be him to make the rules by appointing some PD member a PM.
And tomorrow there will be one more classy show. The great player will be dropping by University Square at about 6 in the evening by accident, but we already know it ! If he is lucky enough to run into a large group of adepts, brought there on purpose, then he is sure to address them. And microphones will show up from nowhere, together with people crying out to complete the presidential message. It ill be a hysterical show.
Sorin Rosca Stanescu
Ziua Sambata 29 Seprembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
While chatting about his meeting with Mircea Geoana in Cotroceni Palace, Traian Basescu pretended to leak some pieces of explosive information. Three of them are about the PSD (Social-Democrat Party). It is a party the head of state affords to criticize, teach and offer solutions to, despite the Constitution. One piece is his statement that Mircea Geoana is the young wing in a party that should get renewed with people of the same kind and eliminate Traian Basescu's traditional adversaries and it would thus become eligible for any sort of political combination. And for taking over again in the future, the President suggested. Of course there was a bizarre metamorphosis in the President's mind, since the President had offended Mircea Geoana so many times before, humiliating the leader of the largest parliamentary party. Given the direction from the President, Mircea Geoana should start eliminating some party members at once.
Another piece of information dropped is that his meeting with Mircea Geoana in Cotroceni Palace was not a tete-a-tete one. There probably were several participants: the head of state, some one or two advisers, Mircea Geoana, some representatives of the PSD, their names still secret, and some two or three outstanding members of the PD (Democrat Party). Therefore it was not the generous President who provided counseling at the request of the political opposition's leader. Cotroceni Palace housed negotiations, in fact, and in the end they made a pact. I am reminding you that ZIUA was the first publication, if not the only one, to disclose the nature of the agreement made in Cotroceni Palace. Mircea Geoana is forcing the PSD into going all the way with the bill against the government, an initiative supported from the shadow by the National Anti-Corruption Department, the President, the PD and the PLD (Liberal-Democrat Party). It is meant to establish a minority PD government to arrange early parliamentary elections in the spring of 2008, to be held at the same time with the local elections. The PSD gets nothing in exchange for it, but Mircea Geoana gets consolidated as president of the party due to the opening of action, generally of criminal nature, against his domestic rivals. What good business it is for Traian Basescu! But it is spoiled by the very party authoring the bill and refusing to trust Mircea Geoana all the way.
Traian Basescu also mentioned that, unless a government of Liberals and Democrats was possible, without Tariceanu as PM, of course, then he would appoint a Democrat PM after the government collapse. Guess who will become a PM ? But Vasile Blaga has still got to wait. After outlining that he was not the President of all Romanians, but only of those supporting him, Traian Basescu informed us that, after the parliamentary elections, early or not, it would still be him to make the rules by appointing some PD member a PM.
And tomorrow there will be one more classy show. The great player will be dropping by University Square at about 6 in the evening by accident, but we already know it ! If he is lucky enough to run into a large group of adepts, brought there on purpose, then he is sure to address them. And microphones will show up from nowhere, together with people crying out to complete the presidential message. It ill be a hysterical show.
Sorin Rosca Stanescu
Ziua Sambata 29 Seprembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english
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