I came across Mucha while reading about the history of design. Born in 1860 in Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic) he trained in Paris after his work impressed one of his employers enough for him to pay for education. He began his career as they typical penniless artist, drawing pictures for magazines. His lucky break came in 1895 when he was commissioned to create a poster for a play, Gismonda. His work became an overnight senstation and his style became known as Art Nouveau. The movement's belief that everything was and should be art inspired a wealth of design, including the entrances to the Paris Metro* designed by Hector Guimard:
Mucha died from pneumonia. He contracted the infection after being arrested by German troops when they invaded Czechoslovakia in 1939 - he was still influencial enough to be one of the first arrested. He was eventually released but he never recovered from seeing his beloved homeland invaded and died soon after.
* Who would have believed underground systems could display such stunning design! Even London makes this list.
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