Bicycle Alfons Mucha Playing Cards – Limited Edition – SEALED

This Listing is for 1 Deck of Bicycle Alfons Mucha Playing Cards “The Mission of the Artist is to Encourage People to Love Beauty and Harmony” This Deck is a Japanese release that were only available Exclusively in Japan !! Czech-born Alphonse Mucha (1860–1939) was one of the most celebrated artists in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. As an influential force behind the art nouveau movement, he created sumptuous posters and advertising, promoting such everyday products as cigarette papers and tea biscuits, that transformed the streets of Paris into open-air art exhibitions. Alphonse Mucha ’s instantly recognizable works feature beautiful women with long tendrils of hair and flowing garments surrounded by decorative botanical motifs in delicate shades of peach, gold, ochre, and eau de Nil . The Czech artist originally found fame via his stunningly original poster designs for the legendary actress Sarah Bernhardt, but is best known today for his innovative advertisements, posters, and decorative works. Although Mucha resented his work’s formal association with Art Nouveau, which to him represented a uniquely contemporary—rather than timeless—movement, the egalitarian nature of the poster was instrumental in popularizing an aesthetic that, to many, became known simply as le style Mucha . Born in 1860 in the small Moravian town of Ivančice, then one of the Slavic provinces of the Austrian Habsburg Empire, Mucha came of age in an era of nationalistic consciousness, a reaction against the increasing Germanization of Czech culture. As such, he saw art as a means of responding to his nation’s need for cultural representation. These aspirations were put on hold following his rejection from the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. Mucha was forced to earn a living as an apprentice scene painter in Vienna, and then as a portrait painter in the Moravian town of Mikulov. His talents eventually caught the eye of two local counts, whose patronage allowed him to gain formal training in Munich, and later in Paris. Mucha’s star only continued to rise. In 1896, poet and novelist Léon Deschamps, founder of the French art magazine La Plume , invited Mucha to join the Salon des Cent . He was given a major retrospective there the following year. Six editions of La Plume devoted to the artist served as a catalogue for the exhibition, which further spread his fame as it toured through Europe. It was during this time that Mucha’s style become inextricably linked with Art Nouveau. The movement’s focus on natural motifs and flowing, organic lines had much in common with his own work. Yet Mucha was dismissive of the movement’s name. From his point of view, Art Nouveau was new art. He thought art should be permanent, universal or timeless. Nevertheless, his work was instrumental in popularizing the Art Nouveau aesthetic. Better yet, his posters and graphic works were visible to everyone on the street, and could be purchased by those who might not have had the means to buy more expensive luxuries. Mucha was interred in the Slavin monument in Prague’s Vyšehrad cemetery, the final resting place of many great Czechs. The monument bears the inscription “Though dead they still speak to us.” Mucha’s work continues to do just that. His work, largely disseminated through posters, one of the most important and egalitarian forms of visual communication of the 20th century, has largely defined a glamorous era that continues to excite the public imagination. His unique sense of design and powerfully sensuous line have ensured that even his most commercial works have transcended their original purpose to become artworks in their own right, reproduced throughout the world to this day. This Deck of Alfons Mucha Playing Cards, displays his works. Custom designed Ace of Spades & Courts Custom designed Jokers & Numbers Printed on quality Bicycle stock with the Air-Cushion finish. by the United States Playing Card Company Made in the USA Limited Edition of 2000 Decks Printed, never to be reprinted again. All My Decks are Brand New, Sealed and is in its Original Cellophane Wrapper . They are in Mint Condition I collect Playing Cards and will package your Rewards carefully to keep them Mint. I ship using U.S. Postal Service First Class Mail or Priority Mail. All shipments will include a delivery confirmation to the Continental USA only. Shipping in the USA is $ 6.00 for the First Deck and $1.50 for each Additional Deck purchased Shipping Worldwide is $ 19.00 for the First Deck and $5.00 for each Additional Deck purchased. To receive your combined shipping discount on orders for more than this listing please request a total from us or kindly wait for your invoice! I accept PayPal only. Prompt payment ensures quick shipment. Buyer must pay within 5 days of sale. Thank You for Bidding and I will Strive for your Satisfaction – Guaranteed !! Please ask all questions beforehand – Thanks………Steve