Jasper Johns’s series of paintings, drawings and prints on the theme of ‘The Seasons’, which he made between 1984 and 1991, is widely regarded as a seminal body of work. The group consists of four large canvases, at least twenty-nine drawings and nine prints. The Courtauld Gallery has the complete group of nine prints (consisting of eight etchings and one lithograph), given by Barbara Castelli, widow of Leo Castelli, the legendary New York dealer who first ‘discovered’ Johns in the 1950s and represented him throughout much of his career. It was with Castelli that Johns first exhibited his 'The Seasons' series in 1987. Complete sets of the nine prints are very rare and are held by only a few public and private collections internationally (MoMA, New York, holds one set). This particular set has the added distinction of being presented by Johns to Castelli and dedicated - ‘To Leo’ - in pencil on each sheet.

Johns’s 'The Seasons' are complex and multi-layered works. He adopted the traditional four-part allegorical cycle, which has a long history in both Western and Eastern art, to weave together themes of art, life and autobiography. The four coloured etchings each present a different season - Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall. The three large monochrome etchings see Johns bringing together and reworking all four of the principal Seasons plates in different combinations on single sheets of paper. Finally, the two further monochrome prints revisit the Summer and Winter compositions on a much smaller scale and are more delicate and intimate in character. Printmaking has long been a crucial part of Johns’s work as an artist and integral to his creative process. The Seasons prints played a vital role in the development of this body of work, informing and responding to both the paintings and the drawings.

In producing 'The Seasons', Johns finally reconciled himself to embracing autobiography in his work. As he put it: “In my early work I tried to hide my personality, my psychological state, my emotions, but eventually it seemed like a losing battle. Finally one must simply drop the reserve." Consequently, 'The Seasons' present combinations of images relating directly to Johns’s own work (such as his famous American flags and his cross-hatched paintings) and to artists and artworks of personal significance to him (such as Picasso, Duchamp and the Mona Lisa). Most prominently, in each composition Johns’s own shadow is cast across the palimpsest of imagery.

Leo Castelli (1907-1999); gift of Barbara Castelli, 2016

Jasper Johns: The Seasons, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 28/02/2024-12/05/2024

Signature: LR

Inscription: For Leo LR