Late 19th century, Zanesville, Ohio, Herman Carl Mueller (1854-1951, German/American) for American Encaustic Tiling Co., all signed "HM" to recto with impressed AETC company mark to verso, the glazed ceramic relief tiles depicting three of four figural season allegories, including Spring (celestial blue hue glaze), Summer and Winter (rose hue glazes), all presented in contemporary gilt frames.

Frame dimensions 16 x 22 in.

From the Collection of the late David and Happy Powell, Timmonsville, South Carolina

Herman attended the Nuremberg School of Industrial Arts, and studied sculpture at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. In 1878, Muller moved to Cincinnati Ohio where he worked as a sculptor. He subsequently worked for American Encaustic Tiling Company, and was the founder of the Mueller Mosaic Company of Trenton.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection includes a similar "Spring" tile. Other museum collections include Herman's work include: the New Jersey State Museum, Newark Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

His tile work can also be found at important state and public locations including the Indiana Statehouse, Columbia High School (New Jersey) in Maplewood, New Jersey; Hepburn Hall at New Jersey City University; New Jersey State House; Trenton and Mercer County War Memorial-Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Building; the West Franklin Historic District in Richmond, Virginia; among other locations.

Glaze crazing; some small areas of glaze loss to recto; some scattered small losses to verso.