Mucha, Alphonse

(born July 24, 1860, Ivancice, Moravia, Austrian Empire—died July 14, 1939, Prague, Czech.) Czech painter and designer. After study in Prague, Munich, and Paris, he became the principal designer of posters advertising the stage appearances of Sarah Bernhardt; he designed sets and costumes for her as well. His many opulent posters and magazine illustrations made him one of the foremost designers in the Art Nouveau style. In 1922, after Czechoslovakia had become independent, he settled in Prague and designed the new republic's stamps and banknotes.

Source: Encyclopedia Britannica