ALPHONSE MUCHA [THE SEASONS.] 1896.

19 1/2x25 inches. [F. Champenois, Paris.]
Condition B+: repaired tears through upper margin into image; wrinkles and minor foxing in margins. Paper.
These four irresistible allegories of the seasons were Mucha's first decorative panels and began a series that proved to be a unique success story in French printing of the fin-de-siecle. Not only were Mucha's many different decorative panels extremely successful financially, but they were also an experience that satisfied Mucha from an intellectual point of view. "I was happy to be involved in an art intended for the common people and not for exclusive salons. It was inexpensive, affordable, and found a place in poor families as well as well-to-do ones." The Seasons were first published in large sizes, but Champenois also decided to print a smaller format version for people who had less room in which to enjoy the images. For the project Mucha surrounded the images with an elaborate, decorative border, virtually turning them into a small screen. Rennert / Weill 18 var. 3.