ALPHONSE MUCHA (1860-1939) [THE SEASONS / L'HIVER.] Decorative panel on silk. 1900.
27¾x12½ inches, 70½x31½ cm. [F. Champenois, Paris.]
Condition B+: runs along horizontal creases in silk; archival tape at lower side margins; modern silk reinforcement strips along top and bottom margin, with small pin holes; hinged archivally to mat.
For Mucha's third and final allegorical group of The Seasons, the premise remains the same - young women as irresistible representations of the seasons. Here, Mucha's approach is slightly different from the preceding versions; he has placed these women within decorative borders and employs a starker and more realistic color scheme than the pastels of 1896. Rennert / Weill 74 (var 1), Lendl p. 192 & 193 (var), Mucha / Bridges P38, P49-51.