Alfons Mucha on the postage stamp for the EXPO 2025 World Exhibition
Sberatel.info
16. April, 2025
The Czech Post commemorates the world-famous Czech artist Alfons Mucha on a new postage stamp and sheet. The series of four stamps bears motifs from the iconic ‘Seasons’ cycle and thus symbolically connects Czech art with the admiration Mucha enjoys even in faraway Japan – the host country of the EXPO 2025 World Exhibition.
The new sheet of the Czech Post with the letter ‘Z’ (54 CZK / 2,20 EUR) is dedicated to Alfonsi Mucha and his most famous decorative cycle ‘Seasons’ from 1896. Each of the four stamps represents one season in the form of a dreamy female figure – ethereal nymphs capture the atmosphere of spring, summer, autumn and winter.
The stamps are stylized in the exact spirit of the Art Nouveau master – rich ornaments, delicate colours and graceful lines are not only a decoration for philatelists, but also a tribute to an artistic legacy that transcends time and continents.
Mucha and Japan: a Long-term Artistic Bond
Mucha was influenced by Japanese art during his lifetime, especially by traditional woodcuts *ukijo-e*, which shaped his artistic style – decorative, compositional, line. Interestingly, his works are still popular in Japan today. The Japanese see them as a harmony of elegance, delicacy and detail – values that are close to their own aesthetic.
In 1992, the first museum outside Europe devoted exclusively to Mucha’s work was established in the Japanese town of Sakai – the „Mucha Museum Sakai“, containing hundreds of originals and poster prints. Mucha’s works were one of the main magnets of the Czech exhibition at EXPO 2005 in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, and the new stamp issue for EXPO 2025 in Osaka thus symbolically continues this cultural link.
Biography of Alfons Mucha in a nutshell
Alfons Maria Mucha (1860-1939) was born in Ivančice in Moravia. After studying in Vienna and Munich, he settled in Paris, where he became famous mainly thanks to his posters with the actress Sarah Bernhardt. His style has become an icon of Art Nouveau art, characterised by elegant female figures, natural motifs and decorative framing. After returning to his homeland, he devoted himself to, among other things, the monumental cycle Slavic Epic. Mucha died in 1939 in Prague.
Where to see Mucha today?
In Prague, Mucha’s work can be admired in several places. The „Mucha Museum Prague“ is located in the Art Nouveau building of the Kaunicky Palace and offers a permanent exhibition of his posters, drawings and personal objects. This year, another „Mucha Museum“ opened its doors in the Savarin Palace in the centre of Prague on Příkopy Street. „The Municipal House“ in Prague houses interior decorations designed by Mucha himself, including a monumental mosaic in the Smetana Hall. His greatest work, the Slavonic Epic, is currently housed in Moravské Krumlov, where it is once again open to the public.
Postage stamps with Alphonse Mucha as well as the complete issue programme of the Czech Post will be on sale at the autumn Sberatel fair, which will take place on 5 – 6 September at the PVA Expo in Prague. It is regularly attended by 230 exhibitors and 10,000 visitors from all over the world.
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