mucha

Mucha is a word in Czech and Slovak meaning "fly" (the insect) and is also a surname of Czech origin.

The best-known bearer is Alphonse Mucha (Czech Alfons Mucha; 1860–1939), a prominent painter and decorative artist associated with the Art Nouveau movement. Working in Prague and Paris, he produced posters, illustrations, and decorative panels characterized by sinuous lines, floral motifs, and idealized female figures. His breakthrough came with the poster for Sarah Bernhardt's play Gismonda (1894), which helped launch the Art Nouveau style in graphic design. His later monumental cycle The Slav Epic (completed in the 1920s) presents a sweeping, nationalist narrative of Czech and Slavic history. Mucha's typography, color schemes, and ornamental borders influenced commercial art, advertising, and book design in Europe.

As a surname, Mucha is used in the Czech and Slovak-speaking world and appears in various media and public life, from sports to academia. The word's meaning in Slavic languages is separate from its use as a personal name.