Summer by Alfons Mucha

I discovered the Art Nouveau painter Alfons Mucha last year in my sophomore productions workshop (back when I was a design communications major).  The class assignment was to create a band poster and the teacher had sent out a list of examples of artists from all eras who specialized in the design of posters or advertisements.  It was by chance that I looked upon Alfons’ name and goggled him and his works.  I instantly fell in love!  His soft luring otherworldly paintings and lithographs were mesmerizing to me.  Each lovely women was like a muse or mythical nymph being celebrated in each frame, and their lackadaisical poses were inviting.  I have never seen any of his actually pieces in person, most of his work I believe to be in Eastern Europe.    

                I am particular to his painting Summer which is part of a season series.  In the painting Summer there is a definite established, rather than using the edge of the form to create a line.  To me that line almost goes unnoticed until a second or third glance around the painting.  He uses a very perceptible line around the figure, but still keeps the melody of the painting by following her curves and natural shifts within the garment.  Keeping the scene very whimsical. 

                To me texture and color is what makes this piece so uniquely an Alfons Mucha.  He uses no apparent brush strokes to imply movement, no heavy applications of paint to define objects, just one almost flawless layer.  He softens every article within the piece, even the leaves on the branch so that the only way to pick them out from one another is by color and line.  Even though Summer contains more warm colors, Alfons’ use of pale passive colors sets the tone for the painting.  In the Horowitz reading assignment it states, “…colors are orchestrated so that the effect of all colors together will be more striking than individual colors here and there” (p 25).  Alfons uses the repetition of color to move your eye around the painting and to unify it.  The pale violet-red on the bank can also be found in the branch of the tree.  Also the pale yellow that plays on the water is found up in the sky on the clouds, as well as in different parts of her robe.