"As technical progress in lithography enabled wider distribution of art, Mucha created decorative panels in themed Series.  The Seasons (1896), was one of his most popular Series, and the images often graced calendars and postcards.  Perhaps the most sensual of that Series is “Summer” - our lithograph for the instrument.  The poppies in the young woman’s hair are another subtle Nouveau motif - evoking a sense of sleep and dream for their narcotic powers.  The extended strands of the grapevine, the silent water, the relaxed nature of her posture and slightly-dipping feet, the alluring and confident face - all contribute to its sensuality, eroticism, and the mood of the season.  The figure is another grand example of Mucha’s brilliance at depicting idealized womanhood."

Paul Schmidt

"The lithograph is suspended over gold-leaf and festooned with pearl.  The instrument features mother-of-pearl and Abalone cat tails flowing with the breadth and sweep of the lithograph through the figured Brazilian Rosewood.  A stylized dragonfly lights on the Indian rosewood phantom soundhole with its translucent wings revealing the abalone cat-tail stem beneath.  The glass exhibits a moonlit soft rainbow of strong orange, purple, blue, green, pink, yellow, amber - all luminescent hues floating over gold-leaf, inspired by the lithograph both in actual colour and mood of the peaceful-warmed summer moment.  The earthiness of the Brazilian Rosewood is reflected in the colour of the bridge pickup while the water motif is captured by the glass and the blue neck pickup.  The Catalin knobs and resin switch are set in Myrtle burl neighboring the Macassar Ebony bridge."

Paul Schmidt