The name of Alphonse Mucha is inextricably linked with the evolution of Art Nouveau. Born in rural Moravia in 1860, Mucha found fame in Paris when a chance commission for a poster for the actress Sarah Benhardt led to the creation of his first poster image, Gismonda. 'Le style Mucha' was launched and Mucha's posters, with their sinuous lines, pastel colours and decorative motifs, were to become fin-de-siecle icons.<BR>Mucha believed that art influenced all aspects of human life, and his message of peace and harmony links beauty to a moral goodness. This idealistic philosophy, implicit in his decorative works, is explicit in his later creations - historical paintings, allegorical and symbolist scenes. This book introduces this as yet undiscovered aspect of Mucha's work, as well as reproducing Mucha's best-loved images - all in magnificent colour.