Paperblanks Mucha Collection Emerald Slim notebook. The muted and complex palette of pastel colours and the sensuous, sinuous lines of Alphonse Mucha’s work heralded a novel moment in art history. In works notable for their youthful energy and simplified draftsmanship, Mucha (1860-1939) helped to turn the conventional art world upside down. After years of toiling in obscurity, in 1895 the impoverished young Czech became an overnight sensation in Paris by creating a poster for a play starring Sarah Bernhardt, the most famous actress of the period. Before long, "le style Mucha" - later known as the Art Nouveau movement - was the term used to describe the new spirit transforming the city. Mucha’s commitment, however, was not just to the "nouveau' but to the larger human project: a celebration of the creative spirit.