The artist Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) was not only a key figure in the Czech Secession, but his influence extended throughout Europe and the United States during his lifetime. For example, the Amatller Chocolate Company commissioned him to create their centennial poster in 1900, and the MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia) holds some of his posters from its collection. Plain“When Mucha arrived in America in 1904, he was greeted with a cutout of himself on the New York pier that read: ‘Alphonse Mucha, the greatest artist in the world.’ He was considered one of the greats of his time,” recalls his great-grandson, Marcus Mucha, at the new Mucha Museum, opened earlier this year in Prague and renovated by local architect Eva Jiricna. “It’s a beautiful Baroque palace, one of the most beautiful buildings in Prague, and the main hall of the museum is a former Baroque ballroom,” says Mucha, who is also the foundation’s executive director. “And if you look out the windows, right across the street is the theater where Mozart conducted the premiere of…”Don Giovannihe adds.