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Alphonse Mucha
http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/sandamichaela-2188753-mucha3/
 The idea of personifying the seasons was nothing new -
examples could be found in the works of the Old Masters' as
well as in Champenois's other publications. However, Mucha's
nymph-like women set against the seasonal views of the
countryside breathed new life into the classic theme. In the
four panels Mucha captures the moods of the seasons -
innocent Spring, sultry Summer, fruitful Autumn and frosty
Winter, and together they represent the harmonious cycle of
Nature.

This was Mucha's first set of decorative panels and it became

Alfons Maria Mucha (1860-1939) one of his most popular series.
1896 Four Season series: Spring and Summer
1896 Four Season series: Autumn and Winter
1896 Four Season series: Autumn (detail)
1896Four Season series: Winter (detail) 1897 Calendar Champagne
1897 Four Seasons series
1897 Four Seasons series 1898 Calendar of Cherry Blossom
1897 Calendar for Masson Chocolate
1898 Four Season series
1898 Four Season series Details Spring and Summer
1898 Four Season series Details
1898 Four Season series Details
1902 Four Season
series
1899 The Months - Illustrations for Le Mois Littraire
Aurore et Crpuscule 1899 Aurore (down1)
Aurore et Crpuscule 1899 Crpuscule (Dusk)
1902 The Moon and Stars series: The Morning Star,
The Evening Star, The Pole Star, The Moon
The Moon and Stars series: The Morning Star

The Evening-Star
1902 The Moon and Stars series
The Pole -star

'Etoile Polaire' (Pole Star) study

The moon
It was Muchas belief
that through the
creation of beautiful
works of art the
quality of life would
be improved. He also
believed that it was
his duty as an artist
to promote art for
ordinary people. He
was able to fulfill
both of these
objectives by means
of his innovative
concept of the mass-
produced decorative
panel.

The Moon and the

Stars series - The
Morning Star, The
Evening Star, The Pole
Star, The Moon (1902)
 Kathleen Coyle (Emerald Dragon)
Night Sky - Inspired by Mucha's Stars serie

Poster inspired by the Stars series made by Alphonse Mucha

The Judgment of Paris (calendar)-1895
Private collection
The Times of the
Day series 1899

Night's rest,
Evening
contemplation,
Morning
awakening,
Brightness of Day
Mucha was established as a
leading poster artist between
1895 and 1900. During this
period, six posters by Mucha
appeared in Les Matres de
l'Affiche, Jules Chrets monthly
publication featuring the best
posters of the time selected by
him. Also from that time,
Muchas distinctive style was
called le style Mucha,
becoming synonymous with the
current Art Nouveau style.

The Times of the Day series

1899
Night's rest
Brightness of Day Evening reverie
Brightness of Day
In gaining wider public
recognition as the Master of
the Art Nouveau poster,
Muchas success in a new
genre decorative panels
(panneaux dcoratifs)
played a significant part.
Decorative panels were
posters without text, a
prototype of todays art
posters, designed purely for
artistic appreciation or
decorating interior walls. It
was Mucha who transformed
them into a new art form,
affordable and available to
the wider public, whereas,
traditionally, works of art
were available only to the
privileged few.

Zodiac 1896
 Text and pictures: Internet
Copyright: All the images belong to their authors

Presentation: Sanda Foioreanu

www.slideshare.net/michaelasanda

Sound: Frdric Chopin - Ballade No. 3 in A flat major op.47