Mucha was a Czech artist living in Paris during the Art Nouveau era. He worked as a painter and decorative artist and created ornate decorative panels for building interiors, designed theatrical posters for Sarah Bernhardt, painted images of beautiful women in flowing gowns and surrounded by flowers, and produced beautiful package designs for products such as cookies and cigars. In his later life, he returned to his homeland to create what he considered his best works—a series of paintings depicting the history of the Slavic peoples.