Ode to Leaves - Art Nouveau textbook primer

I was able to visit the Alphons Mucha Museum in Prague recently, and I highly recommend it! A great collection with lots of his early and late works, and much explanation. Information on the museum: http://www.mucha.cz/

One discovery was that his original posters were often in muted tones, beautiful but the prints made from them usually intensify the colors, and I like them that way even better.

Another thing I learned is that Mucha compiled a book on how to create art nouveau in his later years. Mucha's book has been translated into English. It is available here, from Dover: Mucha's Figures Decoratives

Another Dover book includes just the images from that book. I don't know why they did this, as they are almost the same price. I do own this one, and the illustrations are indeed nice. A lot of examples of figure-drawing (Mucha was classically-trained), but also many patterns and textures. It  is available here: The Art Nouveau Style Book of Alphonse Mucha

Here is one example illustration:

Dover Books - a great resource

There are many beautiful high-quality books on Art Nouveau, some of which will be reviewed here later. But let me recommend a wonderful low-cost possibility. I know when I was a struggling art student, these source-books were my main introduction (along with the excellent libraries at a couple art schools). A great source of multiple Art Nouveau images for study and use are available from the books produced by Dover Publications. There are many. Here are some favorites:

From: Treasury of Art Nouveau Design & Ornament by Carol Belanger Grafton - Purchase it here

From: Art Nouveau: An Anthology of Design and Illustration from "The Studio" by Edmund V. Gillon Jr. - Purchase it here

From: Grasset's Art Nouveau Flower and Plant Designs  by Eugene Grasset - Purchase  it here