By December 20, 1899, Alphonse Mucha had experienced four years as the most recognizable proponent of Art Nouveau graphics and the most celebrated illustrator in Paris. The images from his Le Pater series are mentioned in numerous Mucha books as his masterpieces and are universally acknowledged alongside his massive Slav Epic paintings as his finest work. However, as a result of Mucha's forced limitation of the publication of this masterwork, the rarity of the lithographs means that most books are limited to mentioning the images in the text and leaving the reader to wonder what these "lost masterpieces" might look like.
The original promotional materials for the Le Pater series name these artworks as of "rare interest and considerable importance". Over 115 years later, the description continues to ring true...
published in three beautiful editions
EXPANDED PAPERBACK EDITION
We are excited to offer an affordable, sturdy paperback edition of our book Le Pater: Alphonse Mucha's Symbolist Masterpiece and the Lineage of Mysticism, featuring a new introduction from legendary author Michael Moorcock, plus 16 additional pages of previously unpublished material!
This lightweight, bookshelf and bag friendly 9" x 12" edition contains over 230 pages of rare historical photos and a thorough decoding of the Judeo-Christian and Masonic Symbolism hidden in the artworks. Printed in a limited quantity.
$49.
THIS EDITION IS SOLD OUT.
OVERSIZED HARDCOVER EDITION
This giant 12" x 16" edition is printed to scale with Alphonse Mucha’s original artworks. Published in ultra-high resolution on fine cotton paper with advanced color correction, deluxe varnishes, and elegant gilded edges to create a boutique keepsake volume. Le Pater: Alphonse Mucha's Symbolist Masterpiece and the Lineage of Mysticism contains over 220 pages of rare historical photos and a thorough decoding of the Judeo-Christian and Masonic Symbolism hidden in the artworks.
Printed in a limited quantity. Hardcover, 12” x 16”, 224 pp.
$179.
THIS EDITION IS SOLD OUT.
LIMITED CLAMSHELL BOX EDITION
Designed to be a keepsake for the centuries, the superior contents of the Le Pater: Alphonse Mucha's Symbolist Masterpiece and the Lineage of Mysticism standard hardcover edition are bound in a special vegan leather cover with gilt lettering and handmade endpapers by artist Renaldo Crepaldi. The volume is contained in an archival fabric clamshell box designed to dramatically recreate the experience of the original 1899 presentation. Each clamshell is accompanied by a limited edition, archival, high-resolution facsimile of the final Alphonse Mucha artwork titled AMEN.
Limited edition of only 200 copies, signed and numbered by author Thomas Negovan on a deluxe vellum insert page. Hardcover, 12” x 16”, 224 pp.
$650.
THIS EDITION IS SOLD OUT.
Press and Reviews
“I am honestly in awe of this book. I am almost afraid to open it, let alone write about it. It is profound and beautiful, and is amongst the very few of its kind I cherish; it is a source of beauty and intellectual inspiration...” —
— Michael Moorcock, legendary author and creator of the term "multiverse" (from his introduction)
"Alphonse Mucha is an astonishing genius. I love his work, and have half a dozen books about him (plus probably twenty more where he is featured). He was a supreme craftsman enjoying incredible technical facility, a unique sense of design, and a sublime aesthetic judgement– yet his masterful illustrations and decorations for The Lord’s Prayer remain relatively unknown. Hopefully this book will change that. Thomas Negovan’s beautiful book is probably my all-time favourite exploration of an artist who brought joy and beauty into the world and– simply put– played his part in making the world a better place."
— Roger Dean, legendary artist and designer
"There's a whole lot of talk about magick and the occult these days, but very few recognize just how much work and artistry go into development of a true sigil. This stunning homage to Le Pater not only reveals the intricacies and depth of Alphonse Mucha's Symbolist Masterpiece, it also demonstrates the sort of research, decoding, dedication, and precision required to embark on a mystical journey of this magnitude."
— Douglas Rushkoff, author of Team Human, Throwing Rocks at the Google Bus
"Bravo to Thomas Negovan for his in-depth study of this Symbolist masterpiece of Alphonse Mucha. This is an exquisitely designed and well thought-out tribute to the Father of Art Nouveau. This book is truly a thing of beauty!"
— Thomas Blackshear, internationally celebrated fine artist and illustrator
“A rare example of fine book making, as well as a substantial groundbreaking study towards a deeper and greater understanding of Alphonse Mucha's deeply enigmatic, often misunderstood Masterpiece of symbolist mysticism. Thomas Negovan's Le Pater celebrates the Religion of Beauty magnificently within its pages.”
— E. Elias Merhige, director of Shadow of the Vampire, Begotten
"After a misspent youth hanging around esoteric bookshops I bloody well wish this book had been available before. It's got it all really. All that stuff I wanted to know about plus all that stuff I wanted to (ahem) recontextualise into lyrics for my songs.
Yes it's all here: magic, masons, theosophy, heaven and hell, monsters and mirages, metaphysical diagrams, illustrated prayers, fantastical poems and of course marvellous paintings plus pithy commentaries. Dive deep and apprehend these mysteries my friends, this book is essential stuff."
— Steve Kilbey, singer-songwriter and bassist for The Church