Alphonse Mucha’s Slavic Utopia: A Moravian Among Slavs
Alphonse Mucha working on his Slovanská Epopej (Slav Epic). Image source
Written by Mariacarla Bettocchi
Alphonse Maria Mucha, the artist known for his invaluable contributions to the iconic avant-garde movement, left his homeland of Czech Republic and traveled to Paris in 1887 to study and later become the “Father of Art Nouveau.” After years of all the decorative illustrations, pretty posters, and beautiful theatrical art he made, Mucha finally sat down and meditated on his own heritage. Born in Moravia during the Czech National Revival, nationalism had always been present in his life, but the lack of Slavic representation in art was unfair. Who was going to tell of the noble toil of these people, the stories of war and peace that rumbled over the great plains and etched themselves into the history of Europe’s largest ethnolinguistic group?
Thus his most personal and monumental project was born: a series of 20 enormous panels depicting key events in Slavic and Czech history, entitled Slav Epic. Rather than painting these in his usual pastel-colored avant-garde style, he worked on canvas with dusty colors, uniting Slavic mythology and realism to depict the significance behind each scene. His work had always been Romantic, and the paintings in Slav Epic stir profound feelings of pride and honor in the observers.
The first panel, painted in 1912, is named The Slavs in their Original Homeland. It illustrates the ancient Slavic tribes on the vast European plain where they would build their homes. To the left, the artist paints scenes of conflict to represent the constant invasions, and on the right stands a Slavic priest with two figures representing war and peace— the two forces that would define their history. In the forefront are a mother and child who stare at the observer with a harrowing look, almost as if challenging you to witness their story.
Another painting depicts the introduction of the Slavonic liturgy, which allowed the tribes to practice Christianity in the Slavic vernacular instead of Latin. Not only did this legitimize the Slavic language, but it also fortified the tribes’ cultures and gave them a place in a religion that became Europe’s foundation in later years.
Other panels include depictions of pagan festivals, coronations of leaders, and other major events such as the abolition of serfdom in Russia. Mucha also included personal scenes central to Czech history. One of the most intricate paintings portrays Jan Hus, a fellow Moravian, and another scene is set in the artist’s hometown of Ivančice.
The final canvas is undoubtedly the most recognizable and perhaps the most moving. Painted in 1926, The Apotheosis of the Slavs synthesizes all of the facets of Slavic culture that Mucha explored across the other panels. Rainbows of muted colors highlight figures from Slavic mythology, children in traditional folk costumes, brave soldiers returning from war, and the flags of Slavic nations. In the center stands a young man with his arms stretched wide, a representation of the new, liberated Slavic countries. Juxtaposing this celebration are invaders and enemies shrouded in somber grays and reds. The painting is the apex of Slavic culture; it is a portrait of perfect unity and a Plan-Slavic paradise. It contains symbols of new and independent states and the future of the Slavs, but serves to also remind the viewers of the past and the foundations upon which these cultures were built.
Apotheosis of the Slavs, 1926. Image Source
Mucha’s Slav Epic has been deprived of a permanent home for many years and has only just acquired a special exhibit to be opened in 2026. However, the work has always been extremely important, especially for the Czechs; when the Nazis came upon Prague in World War II, Slav Epic was among the first artworks that were hidden from the fires of the bookburners.
But the panels as a whole have always stood for a larger audience. It is a work of art that tells the Slavic and Czech story while validating the worth and rich history of its people. Mucha knew that in order to properly represent the story of the Slavs, he would need to paint times in which they were challenged and conquered. Many paintings do depict battles, some of which resulted in victories but many of which led to losses.
However, Mucha did not paint his people as the subjugated. He did not paint them as conquerors either; he depicted them as people who were as good at fighting as they were at picking themselves back up and moving forward once the battle was over. Mucha depicted the rich relationships the Slavic people have in common— relationships that form a brotherhood which is greatly threatened.
Mucha’s vision of Slavic utopia in 1912 shames the growing schisms among these countries today. Just by turning on the news one can witness the destruction that the Slavs impose on each other. Putin’s army has struck down so many Eastern Orthodox cultural heritage sites in Ukraine– perhaps a move meant to make it seem as if they are trying to erase Ukrainian culture and autonomy.
But they have forgotten what Mucha had spent eighteen years working on depicting: their shared heritage. Russia destroying Ukraine is Russia destroying a part of itself. Though both countries are distinct and represent differing cultures, they share common ancestry. Did Russia forget that both countries share deep ties through Eastern Orthodoxy? Do they still care about the subtle threads that link them not only to each other but to all the other Slavic countries?
Yet the noble toil pursues. Despite a love-hate relationship with Ukraine and strict foreign entrance policies, Poland has taken Ukrainians in, and other Slavic countries have done the same because all of them have experienced what it is like to be under Russia’s invasion.
Though Mucha’s Pan-Slavic dream seems near impossible to reach given today’s climate, his paintings use shared history to empower these people. There is, in fact, something linking these cultures together, something to be proud and look back to. Modern politics and past battles aside, these countries will always have something to share. Mucha “wished to unite all the Slavs through their common history and their mutual reverence for peace and learning and eventually to inspire them to work for humanity using their experience and virtue.”
Mariacarla Bettocchi is a high school student and co-founder of Rosebud. Her passions include Slavic studies, linguistics, cinema, literature, and listening to Houdou Nisbi by Ziad Rahbani for the thousandth time. As a proud Italo-Pole, she spends a lot of her free time trying to find the middle space between Federico Fellini and Andrzej Wajda. Mariacarla can be contacted at mariacarla.bettocchi@gmail.com.
Sources Used:
Clay, J. Eugene. “Russia's Invasion of Ukraine Threatens a Cultural Heritage the Two Countries Share, Including Saint Sophia Cathedral.” The Conversation, 11 Apr. 2023, theconversation.com/russias-invasion-of-ukraine-threatens-a-cultural-heritage-the-two-countries-share-including-saint-sophia-cathedral-187140.
Czech Republic - National Revival, countrystudies.us/czech-republic/13.htm.
Foundation, Mucha. Mucha Foundation, www.muchafoundation.org/en/gallery/themes/theme/slav-epic.
Michalska, Julia. “Art Nouveau Pioneer Alphonse Mucha's Slav Epic Finds a Home at Last-and It's Designed by Thomas Heatherwick.” The Art Newspaper - International Art News and Events, The Art Newspaper - International Art News and Events, 28 Sept. 2021, www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/01/22/art-nouveau-pioneer-alphonse-muchas-slav-epic-finds-a-home-at-lastand-its-designed-by-thomas-heatherwick.
“The Ultimate Guide to Exploring the Beauty and Meaning of Alphonse Mucha's Masterpiece, the Slav Epic [Updated 2023].” The Creative Adventurer, 27 Jan. 2023, thecreativeadventurer.com/art-gallery-guide-alphonse-muchas-masterpiece-the-slav-epic/.
Xavi. “Slav Epic, Alphonse Mucha's Masterpiece, Has Finally Found a Permanent Home in Prague.” Art Nouveau Club, 7 July 2022, artnouveau.club/slav-epic-was-finally-assigned-a-well-deserved-home/.
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