Leading Dorset and Somerset solicitors firm, Humphries Kirk is proud to sponsor ‘Alphonse Mucha: In Quest of Beauty’ at the Russell-Cotes Museum in Bournemouth.
Humphries Kirk has been working with the Mucha family long before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The two have been deeply connected ever since John Mucha became acquainted with James Selby Bennett, partner at Humphries Kirk in the 1980s.
The dark days of communism in Czechoslovakia left the Mucha family struggling to protect the collection of work. Calling upon Humphries Kirk and its wider international network, the firm worked with the family in order to preserve the Mucha collection and its artistic heritage for current and future generations.
Alphonse Mucha, the Czech master of Art Nouveau and the quintessential artist of fin-de-siècle Paris, is renowned for his distinctive style and exploration of feminine beauty. In Quest of Beauty showcases the iconic Gismonda (1894), his very first poster which portrays Sarah Bernhardt, his muse actress.
James Selby Bennett, who played a pivotal role in helping to form the Mucha Foundation and bringing the exhibition to the UK, said: “I well remember the dark days of uncertainty and repression before the velvet revolution in Prague. Alphonse’s works and heritage were under considerable threat. The advice that we gave the Mucha family proved resilient and Humphries Kirk are very pleased to have played our (not inconsiderable) part.”
John and Sarah Mucha, Alphonse Mucha’s grandson and his wife and the Directors of the Mucha Foundation, said: “As Dorset residents, we are delighted to be able to share Mucha’s work with our local community.”
The world exclusive exhibition, new for 2015, premieres on Wednesday April 1 to Sunday September 27. Entrance to the Russell-Cotes includes the exhibition and costs £5.