Although Alfons Mucha is usually associated with Art Nouveau representations, one of his greatest projects is the 'Slav Epic', which is far from Art Nouveau in style. It includes a painting from 1924 depicting the 'Battle of Grunwald', or rather the scene after the battle. The focal point of the painting is a figure in armour - King Władysław Jagiełło, observing the battlefield. Behind him are those who survived the battle. In the background, one can see armies with raised pennants. The battlefield, visible in the foreground, is full of the bodies of both men and horses, and the surrounding scattered pennants and fragments of clothing contrast with the rather gloomy atmosphere of the scene. Beneath the mound rests the fallen Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, Ulrich von Jungingen, with a cross on his chest. All these elements together create a powerful image that can be interpreted as a meditation on the passing of time, heroism and the effects of war, as well as the inevitable consequences of armed conflict and the price paid by the Slavs and their enemies. A horizontal composition dominates, and the colour palette is subdued with a predominance of browns, greys and broken white, giving the scene a muted, almost melancholic mood. The light appears diffused, suggesting that the scene is taking place at dusk.

The composition also shows a clear variation of planes, from figures in the foreground to more abstract and less detailed silhouettes in the background. The choice of this event may seem somewhat incomprehensible in the context of the whole series. Here, Mucha refers to the epic nature of this armed conflict as the resistance of the Slavs against the Germanic invasion. The ahistorical approach is clearly evident here. The complicated picture of this battle, where Poles (and also Czechs) appeared on the side of the Teutonic Knights, such as the Teutonic fief Nicholas of Rynsk and Konrad VII Oleśnicki, was probably not known to the Czech artist, as historiography was not very keen to expose it. The joint victory of the Crown and Lithuanian armies seems to have escaped the Slavic interpretation somewhat, but for Mucha the participation of a corps of mercenaries from Bohemia and Moravia was probably more important. At their head was the Moravian knight Jan Sokol of Lamberk, and the mule was probably taken by Jan Žižka of Trocnov. They are depicted on the left in the painting, visible next to a warrior in armour and a wide helmet. Directly behind him is Jan Sokol of Lamberk and to his left Jan Žižka of Trocnov. On the right, Orthodox monks can also be seen praying, which may be a reference to the Smolensk flags taking part in the battle.

One could also be tempted to make another reading, in which good cooperation between the Slavs and their neighbours would be a guarantee for the defence of Slavdom, but there is nothing in the painting or the cycle itself to support such an interpretation. Rather, Mucha drew on a certain simplified image of the 'Battle of Grunwald' as a victory for Polish arms, exposing the participation of the Czechs, which may explain the choice of this scene. Jan Matejko's painting of the same title also seems to be of some significance. In the light of current research, it is difficult to indicate unequivocally the actual influence of the Cracovian master on the Mucha. At the same time, it is not a question of stylistic influence, but more of a vision of art becoming a non-national epic and the role that the artist plays in it. Remaining, therefore, in the realm of hypotheses, it seems that in 1924 Matejko's painting, or rather its place in Polish identity, may have been a point of reference for the choice of this theme.

Being superficially familiar with the artist's oeuvre, one may be surprised by the nature of this canvas; however, it should be seen as part of a larger series and placed in the context of the Czech artist's overall oeuvre and concept. "Le style Mucha" is a story whose language is free-wheeling lines, golden reflections in which lies the promise of an eternal tomorrow. And above all, an ephemeral vision of femininity, beauty, youth, vitality. This narrative, this imagined paradisiacal world, seems to be an escape from the everyday, in which mystical nymphs and Dryads, merge with ornament, with line, with the world, yet not as it is, but a dreamed, idyllic world.

Their creator, Alfons Maria Mucha, was born in 1860 in Ivančice. The beginnings of his career are difficult; the Prague academy rejects him, the theatre where he worked as a decorator burns down ... but there are also lucky coincidences, such as his meeting with Count Karl Khuen-Belassi. Not only does he gain commissions, but his work begins to be appreciated. The Count even decides to fund a scholarship for a young artist, whom he sends to Munich. Mucha, however, does not stay there for long; he is drawn to Paris. However, he has to start almost from scratch. He loses his scholarship, makes a living from random commissions, the Paris academy rejects him. Again, talent and coincidence lead to him being commissioned to create a poster for the play Gismond. The year is 1894, Art Nouveau is just emerging. The artist designs a poster that is the apotheosis of an actress. Opulent, hieratic, harking back to Byzantine art, yet thoroughly contemporary, with a wealth of ornament, pastel colours, free line. This poster delighted the actress, but also the audience. It was a breath of fresh air, a bold vision of new art, new aesthetics. Mucha began to run the lines more and more boldly, to create her Art Nouveau-idyllic world, in which the harmony between nature, culture and man takes precedence. Living in soft pastel tones, combined with dramatic, sometimes almost mystical lighting, gave his female figures an almost ethereal character, while retaining their sensuality and strength. He quickly becomes popular; his style becomes quintessentially belle époque. For some, it also becomes almost synonymous with modern femininity - independence and strength. She escapes from restrictive social and cultural norms, offering an alternative, albeit utopian, image of female strength and autonomy. For others, this vision will be too ephemeral, too heavily drawn by the male heterosexual gaze, too one-dimensional and passive, subject to the power of the gaze

During this time, she not only paints, but designs virtually everything - covers, furniture, clothes. She receives the Legion of Honour for her work and a bronze medal for her sculpture Nature at the 1900 Paris World Exhibition. He is at the height of his popularity. Later, already during the war, the time of his art and the affirmation of the world he proposes seems to have passed. The artist retains something of the spirit of this time to the end; against all odds, shortly before his death, he paints The Age of Reason, The Age of Wisdom and The Age of Love, but fails to complete it. Having previously moved to Bohemia, he is interrogated after the Germans invade Prague, his health deteriorates - the artist dies in the summer of 1939. The Pragueers - in defiance of the Germans - pay their last tribute to the artist. However, his work, both during the war and later, is not appreciated by the communists. Art Nouveau had long since passed away, and was often viewed critically in the West - already after the First World War. It was not until 1968 that Mucha's ad hoc exhibition in London proved to be an incredible success, and a return of interest in Art Nouveau began.

However, the artist, whom we so strongly identify with the Art Nouveau style, himself approached his relationship with it with detachment. He claimed that his inspiration lay primarily in Czech culture. Even before 1900, he was experiencing a creative crisis. He wanted to return to his painting roots and create works of national importance. This thought began to take more real shape from 1899, when Mucha worked on the design for the interior of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Pavilion, which had been commissioned by the Austro-Hungarian government for the 1900 Paris Exhibition. Travelling in the Balkans at the time, the idea of not just a Czech but a Slavic revival, as well as a common identity and a close history, began to develop into a grand artistic vision. Perhaps he saw himself as a bard-painter of the pan-Slavic idea. This evolved into the great concept of a Slavic epic. A cycle that eventually amounted to twenty large canvases constituting a story of the myths and history of the Slavic peoples, which was created between 1910 and 1928. Eleven of the paintings were ready as early as 1919. It was a great work for which he looked for money in America, and there he managed to find it. Charles R. Crane shared Mucha's fascination with Slavic culture, was fascinated by the idea of a Slavic epic and decided to finance the project. The artist began his work while still in America, and later, after returning to Europe, he made a study tour of Slavic culture, also visiting Poland, among other places. Using the materials, photographs and sketches he acquired, he began to create paintings at Zbiroh Castle, where special rooms had been adapted for his artistic vision. Work on the series took 18 years, during which Mucha devoted himself to his work with extraordinary passion and determination. In it, he departed from the Art Nouveau form, combining realistic depictions of human figures with rich symbolism and allegorical motifs. In the spirit of symbolism and historicism, he sought to portray the spiritual, cultural and historical aspects of Slavic identity. The artist's desire to inspire a sense of unity and cooperation among the Slavs by referring to a common historical narrative and shared values shines through.

Both the concept itself and the monumental form became difficult to bear for some critics, who began to see it as an expression of the artist's megalomania, who had ceased to be a preacher of modernity in his artistic forms, returning to the 19th century. Nevertheless, the first exhibition of 1919 at the Klementinum in Prague was well received by the public and some critics. The series, by this time finished, was presented to the public again in autumn 1928 during the celebrations of the 10th anniversary of Czechoslovak independence in the Great Hall of the Museum. At that time, the artist decided to donate his work to Prague, with the condition, however, that a separate pavilion be erected to display it. Lack of funds meant that this did not come to fruition, and it was decided to move the works to the nearby castle in Moravský Krumlov, where they ended up in April 1950. However, they were not exhibited partly because there was a lack of suitable space and partly because by the time they were prepared, the castle had been occupied for military purposes. The works were again moved and deposited in the town hall, which was a former monastery. Unfortunately, it was completely unsuitable not only for display, but even for storing the paintings. Although there were ideas to move it to other locations, they were not realised for a long time. Eventually, it was decided that they would return to the castle, which had been partially returned by the army, where suitable rooms would be prepared. In 1963, the first nine canvases went there. In 1968, after further rooms had been prepared, the entire series was exhibited. In the 1960s, conservation work was also carried out on the canvases. However, the location of the exhibition, which was not in accordance with the artist's disposition, led to a legal dispute between the heirs and the foundation dealing with the artist's legacy and the Prague municipality, which owns the works, regarding their improper display. In 2023, however, an agreement was signed and, although the works still remain at the castle in Moravský Krumlov for the time being, once the necessary adaptation work has been completed, they are to be exhibited from 2026 in the newly created Savarin complex in the centre of Prague, combining cultural, commercial, leisure and restaurant functions, which is being built around the Sylva-Taroucca Palace, also known as the Piccolomini Palace or Savarin Palace, which has been adapted for this purpose.

Author Lenka Bydžovská, Karel Srp, 'Alfons Mucha-Slovanská epopej', Praha 2012.