October, November, December 1896

This chromolithograph calendar, titled October, November, December, was made in the United States by the British-American artist Louis Rhead. It is a beautiful example of the Art Nouveau style. Here, we see a melancholic female figure draped in autumnal colors alongside monthly calendars, and the composition references classical allegorical traditions but presents them in a modern format accessible to a wide public. Such images played a crucial role in shaping cultural values and aesthetic preferences in the rapidly industrializing America of the late 19th century. Commercial artworks like this existed in tension with the elitist ideals of the fine art world, and Rhead, a trained artist and illustrator, navigated both worlds. To understand this calendar fully, we might consider the role of mass media in shaping public taste, the impact of advertising on the art market, and the changing status of women in American society. It is through this kind of research that we begin to understand the place of art within the social fabric.