Alright, so he's old history. But, as I didn't have much art history in college, I have developed a love affair with Art Nouveau, specifically the works of Mucha. The Czech artist was known primarily for his depictions of women in the flowing, delicate, nature-infused nouveau style. His advertisements, both for products and the theatre, are certainly my favorites.
Mucha started painting theatrical scenery and doing mural work, and transitioned into producing magazine and advertising illustrations, after moving to Paris in 1887. His first mega-success was a poster for the play Gismonda starring the well-loved Sarah Bernhardt. This poster did much to spark the nouveau movement. After a successful career as an ad-man, he spent many years working on his Magnum Opus, The Slav Epic, twenty huge paintings that are fascinating and depict the history of the Czech and Slavic people. I'd be happy to have any of Mucha's work framed on my wall-- the detail is endless.
UPDATE:
Here it is, July 23, and Google has dedicated their main page to Mucha's 150th birthday!
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