Salvador Dalí was one of the most significant painters of 20th Century with many imaginative, almost shocking surrealist art works. Dalí showed signs of artistic talent in early childhood, having his first solo exhibition while 21 years old.
In addition to painting, he created sculptures, designed furniture and even directed a movie. He was known for his lavish and often excentric lifestyle, all of which can be seen in his art. Dalí’s lifetime partner and muse was his wife Gala.
Alfons Mucha was a Czech painter, illustrator and graphic designer living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period. Mucha is best known for his distinctly stylized and decorative theater posters exclusively made for French actress Sarah Bernhardt.
After his success with works for Berhardt he also became the face of the Art Nouveau movement. He produced illustrations, advertisements, decorative panels and other designs, which became the best known images of that period.
Even though his success in France was huge, he returned back home to Czechoslovakia where he acknowledges his Slavic roots through Mucha’s lifetime art work the “Slav Epic” — a series of 20 massive canvases depicting key events in the history of Slavic people. He worked on the Slav Epic for 18 years.
Andy Warhol was an American artist, film director and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as Pop Art. His parents came to USA from former Czechoslovakia.
His works explore the relationship between artistic expression, advertising and celebrity culture that flourished by the 60s, and span a variety of media, including painting, silkscreening, photography, film and sculpture.
His New York studio, The Factory, became a well-known gathering place that brought together distinguished intellectuals, drag queens, playwrights, Bohemian street people, Hollywood stars and wealthy patrons.
