Alphonse Mucha’s intricate illustrations have adorned everything from jewellery to advertising posters, and his paintings have become synonymous with Art Nouveau. This month, more than 250 works from the visionary Czech artist will take over the Art Gallery of New South Wales for Alphonse Mucha: Spirit Of Nouveau—the biggest solo exhibition of the legendary artist's work in the Southern Hemisphere. These whimsy works are best experienced IRL, and the AGNSW's gallery is a superior place to spend a chilly winter arvo.
Mucha's enchanting paintings of the female form in muted pastel tones tell the stories of life and its luxuries in nineteenth century Paris, with Mucha creating campaigns for Moët & Chandon, cigarette papers and Nestlé. Making high art accessible for the masses, his advertising posters were plastered across the streets of Europe and have inspired everything from tarot cards to carpets and runway looks today.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales’ exclusive exhibition Alphonse Mucha: Spirit Of Nouveau runs untill 22 September, and features a diverse range of works from the artist’s huge five-decade career. We’re talking posters, illustrations, interior decoration, photos, jewellery and even a digital experience of his series of 20 canvases, the Slav Epic.
This is your exclusive chance to catch a slice of history at one of the largest art galleries in Australia. Stuck for inspiration on what to do afterwards? Here’s a little taste of where to eat in Sydney after your gallery trip.
The Apollo
Stroll 20-minutes from the Art Gallery of NSW for dinner at The Apollo, one of Sydney’s best Greek restaurants.
The modern taverna is big on flavour and does traditional Greek specialties that don't need fussing with, like charcoal chicken, bubbling saganaki cheese in honey, and oven-baked lamb with plenty of Greek yoghurt, with lots of simple but satisfying sides to craft your perfect meal.
Cocktails use Greek sips like ouzo, mastiha and Metaxa for twists on classic combos, and the set menus make The Apollo a great Potts Point restaurant for feeding a larger group.
Find more post-exhibition Potts Point dining here.
Brasserie 1930
Head through Hyde Park and into the heart of the city for dinner at Brasserie 1930. Hidden within the Capella Sydney hotel, the restaurant hits all the right notes of "quiet luxury". Think soaring grand ceilings, meticulously restored heritage features, and oysters, caviar, and raw Paradise prawns available for starters.
The broader menu centres around a charcoal grill and traditional cooking methods like curing, smoking, fermenting, preserving, and pickling. The signature whole roasted duck, served to share as breast and duck neck sausages, with sides of roasted plum, fennel, spinach, and glazed eschalot, is one of the best dishes in Sydney right now.
Restaurant Hubert
For a French affair, Restaurant Hubert is the place to go. Follow a winding staircase down to one of Sydney's most sumptuous basement venues, cloaked in red velvet, wood panelling, and candlelight.
Hubert serves classic French indulgences like duck liver pate, beef tartare, and cheese soufflé to the soothing sounds of live jazz every night and popping champagne corks which makes it the perfect place for getting your Gatsby on. It’s the exact level of hedonistic indulgence you would expect from Swillhouse, the crew behind The Baxter Inn, Shady Pines, and Alberto's Lounge but in a more refined setting.
Find more post-exhibition CBD dining here.
Alphonse Mucha: Spirit Of Nouveau runs untill 22 September at the Art Gallery of NSW. Buy your tickets now before they sell out.
Photo Credit: Installation view of the Alphonse Mucha: Spirit of Art Nouveau exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, photo © Art Gallery of New South Wales, Penny Clay
Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by the Art Gallery of NSW and proudly endorsed by The Urban List. To find out more about who we work with and why read our editorial policy here.
Images: Supplied, The Apollo, Brasserie 1980 and Restaurant Hubert.