Neo traditional tattooing would nothing without the art nouveau tattoo style. And one of the most prolific and profound artists of this movement was Alphonse Mucha. Mucha was born in the Czech Republic in 1860 and found his first success while working in Paris. Mucha’s career really took off when he was introduced to French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt, who’d go on to become his muse. Mucha started by creating a promotional poster for Bernhardt’s play “Gismonda.” From there, Mucha continued to earn acclaim by making commercial art and posters, creating advertisements for “La Plume” magazine and Job cigarettes. Mucha officially introduced art nouveau to the world at the 1900 Paris Universal Exposition, which allowed Mucha to pivot to larger scale work. He’d go on to expand his career in multiple directions, exploring jewelry, pattern work and a 20 canvas series entitled Slav Epic.
Today, you see Mucha’s influence prominently throughout tattooing. Not only is he the inspiration for many neo traditional artists, many of his most popular works have been replicated by tattooers over the years. We’ve gathered together 75 of our favorite tattoos inspired by Alphonse Mucha’s works in the gallery below, take a peek at these impressive designs and let us know if you’re a fan of Mucha in the comments section on social media.
Source: www.inkedmag.com