Monday, July 20, 2009

Summer

Summer, 1896 from the Seasons series
Alphonse Mucha (Czech, 1860-1939)
color lithograph
28x14.5 cm.
Image: Olga's Gallery http://www.abcgallery.com/M/mucha/mucha20.html

Note the significant differences in tone and color between Summer in Olga's Gallery and on Prague.net (click on Seasons series). This is one of the significant drawbacks to this blog and its images. I try as much as possible to borrow images from the most reputable websites (which is usually the owning museum, as I do hope they have created the best digital copy they can, as true to the original as possible).

Mucha was known for a variety of media from paintings, posters, book illustrations, and advertisements to designs for wallpaper, theatre sets and more.

Mucha's work part of the world of Art Nouveau. Mucha's recognition began in 1894 when he was commissioned to design a poster for the actress, Sarah Bernhardt. Art Nouveau was a decorative style which you can see in the simple yet decorative beauty in the flowers and curves in Summer. Mucha chose softer color palettes which bring an additional element of romanticism to his images as well.

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