The Four Seasons – Summer at Ease

Summer brings a relaxed, sunlit mood to Intaglio Mint’s Four Seasons series. Inspired by the art of Edoardo Gioja, this round of 2 troy ounces of .999 fine silver presents a reclining figure with birds in her hands and flowers behind her. The scene captures the season through posture and natural company, giving the 39 mm design an unhurried character.

From Painting to Silver

Italian artist Edoardo Gioja (1862–1937) worked in portraiture, landscape and decorative art. His Four Seasons appeared in The Studio in 1901. Italy’s ICCD preserves photographs of the seasonal paintings and drawings, providing a record of this part of his work.

A Season Given Human Form

In seasonal allegory, an artist makes an abstract passage of time visible through a person and the objects around them. Traditional summer figures often carry ripened grain, as the National Gallery of Victoria notes in its discussion of the Four Seasons. Gioja’s subject on this round offers a different emphasis: birds, flowers and a reclining pose evoke warmth and leisure.

The design invites comparison with Spring’s flower-gathering gesture. Spring appears occupied with gathering the season’s first abundance; Summer settles into it. That change in mood gives each round its own identity while keeping both within the shared language of the series. The interpretation rests in the visible arrangement of the figure and surrounding nature rather than a written calendar date.

Design Details

The obverse features a reclining nude maiden holding birds in both hands, with flowers in the background. Curving forms and the quiet interaction with the birds create a scene of ease, adapted from painting into silver relief.

On the reverse, the large Intaglio Mint logo sits within a plain border. “TWO TROY OUNCES” above and “.999 FINE SILVER” below state the silver content, with stars flanking the inscriptions. The consistent reverse connects Summer to the other designs in the collection while leaving its seasonal figure as the focal point.

Specifications

• Weight: 2 troy ounces
• Purity: .999 fine silver
• Diameter: 39 mm
• Thickness: approximately 6 mm
• Edge: Reeded
• Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated

Explore our silver round collection.