Artwork
Trilogy of Months
Trilogy of Months is a print by the Impressionist artist Eugène Murer. It dates from 1901 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Trilogy of Months, a print created by self-taught French artist Eugène Murer around 1901, features a composition with a faded background, textual elements, a central figure, and symbolic motifs.
Subject & Meaning
The work incorporates a bearded, hatted figure, stars, a sunburst (possibly wheat), and the partial title 'EXPOSI—' with 'MURER' at the bottom. These elements suggest a seasonal or thematic series, potentially linked to an 'Exposition' (public art show), with the sunburst hinting at a cyclical or natural theme.
Technique & Style
The print exhibits a patchy, faded background and blurry figurative elements, with bold, outlined forms (e.
The print exhibits a patchy, faded background and blurry figurative elements, with bold, outlined forms (e.g., the red outline and yellow text). While Murer's association with Impressionists like Guillaumin, Renoir, Monet, and Cézanne is noted, the described visual characteristics do not explicitly align with typical Impressionist techniques of light and loose brushwork, instead presenting a more abstracted, symbolic approach.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1901 by Eugène Murer, a Parisian patisserie owner who socialized with prominent Impressionist artists. The work is currently part of The Cleveland Museum of Art's collection.
Context
Murer's background as a pastry chef and his connections to the Impressionist circle (through friendships and his patisserie, a gathering spot for artists) contextualize the work within a late 19th-/early 20th-century Parisian artistic and social milieu.
Legacy
Specific information on the direct legacy or influence of 'Trilogy of Months' is not provided, though its presence in a major museum collection indicates recognition of its historical and artistic value within Murer's broader, if lesser-known, oeuvre.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hyacinthe-Eugène Meunier (14 May 1841 – 22 April 1906), known as Eugène Murer, was a pastry chef, author, self-taught painter and collector of impressionist paintings.
