Essay Sample on Comparing Art Nouveau Icons: Alphonse Mucha and Jules Cheret

The two art nouveau artists who would be considered for comparison in this essay are Alphonse Mucha and Jules Cheret. The two articles which will be used for comparison include the article by Sarah Blattner titled “Alphonse Mucha and the Emergence of the “New Woman” during the Belle Epoque (1871-1914)” together with the report by Bradford R. Collins titled “The Poster as Art; Jules Chéret and the Struggle for the Equality of the Arts in Late Nineteenth-Century France.” The article about Alphonse Mucha by Sarah Blattner was published by Scholarship & Creative Works and emphasized how the concepts of ideal femininity in the Western culture were transformed during the Belle Epoque, also known as the Beautiful Era. Hence, the article is more of a comparative historical analysis that evaluates the changing representations of women in art in Western society during the Belle Epoque. The report also emphasizes the artworks by Alphonse Mucha because they serve as social commentaries and even stand out as an idea of feminine beauty.

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The other article by Bradford R. Collins was by the MIT Press and examined the transformation of posters from a common commercial medium to a fine-art print towards the end of the nineteenth century in France. Most importantly, the article discusses how Jules Cheret (1836-1932) played an essential role in transforming poster work from mere commercial media to fine-art print and how his efforts as one person posters became involved in various crusades. The article also provides an account of how Jules, who was a poster designer and how he became the main illustrator for the major sheet-music publishers of England. Hence, the author also examines how the developments that transpired in late nineteenth-century France had a significant effect on posters almost in every other place and time. Therefore, the article is centered on developing advertisements as fine-art print and how Jules Cheret and his immediate heirs, especially Lautrec, played an essential part in the development of posters as fine-art prints.

The two articles, even though they are different express sufficient information about the artists and particularly their involvement in the Art Nouveau. The first article by Blattner has exhausted information about Alphonse Mucha and effectively emphasizes his work and the impact of his work on feminism. Therefore, this particular article is meaningful because it expounds on the contribution of Alphonse Mucha as well as other artists in the development of femininity in the Belle Epoque. The report also provides an interpretation of the artworks by Alphonse Mucha that are represented in the article and their several ways in which they contribute to femininity. The material also enhances the understanding of some of the qualities that constituted the Art Nouveau by Alphonse, such as how he represented the woman of his day by encompassing both seductive and pure excellence.

On the other hand, the article by Collins effectively expounds on the critical contribution of Jules Cheret to the development of posters as a fine-art print rather than just a small commercial painting. The article is essential to the study of artwork by Cheret because it accounted for the significant timeframe in his art career when he became a poster designer resulting from his decision to be a lithographic illustrator. The article further expounds on the activities in the development of art that were pursued by Cheret while he was in England and how his venture in art in England led to plans of reforms. The main focus of the article is on the concept of poster design as a form of art and how it was the main aspect that characterized the artworks by Cheret and even how his idea of poster design portrayed the historical connection with the caricature.

Consequently, both articles are effectively written and provide adequate information about the artists. The sufficiency of the information provided on the materials is evident by the footnotes used to enhance the understanding of the content conveyed in the articles. Therefore, the references in the articles further explore the content of the materials, hence strengthening the knowledge of the information about the artists. Additionally, the two items are mutually similar in that they account for the periods of significance in the lives of the two artists, hence providing information on how they compare based on their achieved milestones. Generally, both the articles were key players in the transformation of art in the nineteenth century, and the reports provide definite proof of their contribution to the development of Art Nouveau of the nineteenth century.

Conclusion

In summary, the two articles compare effectively well. This paper has examined the various ways in which the two materials compare based on the information they convey about the two artists. The article by Blattner provides sufficient information about the contribution of Alphonse Mucha to Art Nouveau as well as his contribution to the development of feminism in art during the Belle Epoque, which was also known as the Beautiful Era. Similarly, the article by Collins also provides an account of the achievement of Cheret as he transformed poster as a fine-print art despite the struggles of the art of the nineteenth century. Therefore, the two articles are generally effective for the study of the two artists given the account of the significant moments in their lives and the history of the artwork. Thus, none of the articles can be considered to be better than the other because they both provide an equal account of the various artists and account for the remarkable turnaround moments in their history in participation in Art Nouveau.

Bibliography

Blattner, Sarah. "Alphonse Mucha and the Emergence of the “New Woman” during the Belle Époque (1871–1914)." Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado 4, no. 3 (2015): 1.

Collins, Bradford R. "The Poster as Art; Jules Chéret and the Struggle for the Equality of the Arts in Late Nineteenth-Century France." Design Issues (1985): 41-50.