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"Summer" from "The Four Seasons" (serial number 202)

2004
Not on view
The "Four Seasons" guitars are a complete musical ensemble conceived and built by the master luthier John Monteleone between 2002 and 2006. Each instrument is a beautiful sounding guitar with its own individual voice that also functions musically with the other members of the ensemble. The top is carved out of two pieces of bookmatched quartersawn spruce and the back is from two bookmatched pieces of quartersawn curly maple. The body has a yellow to red sunburst nitrocellulose finish. The bass side of the guitar has a scroll, like those found on some members of the mandolin family (and perhaps reminiscent of Monteleone's own history as a maker of fine mandolins). The "Summer" guitar has an eighteen inch wide lower bout and a large central oval sound hole descending from the bass side to the treble. The bridge is made of two pieces of Macassar ebony with two set screws that allow for adjustment. The tailpiece, pickguard, headstock, and fingerboard have a veneer of Macassar ebony. The binding for the body, tailpiece, headstock, and fingerboard is natural colored maple. Inlaid on the Macassar ebony pieces are mother-of-pearl and synthetic red coral stone triangles. Ruby position markers on the side of the fingerboard appear above the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, and 19th frets. The bass side rib, which faces the player, has two elliptical sound holes that give the musician a better sound experience while playing. Inside, opposite the sound holes there is a sketched summer beach scene.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: "Summer" from "The Four Seasons" (serial number 202)
  • Maker: John Monteleone (American, Islip, New York born 1947)
  • Date: 2004
  • Geography: Islip, NY, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Big-leaf maple, Tyrolean spruce, African red padauk, Macassar ebony, red coral stones, mother-of-pearl, ruby, diamond, gold plating, red nitro-cellulose lacquer finish
  • Dimensions: 44 1/2 × 18 in. (113 × 45.7 cm)
  • Classification: Chordophone-Lute-plucked-fretted
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Abraham J. & Phyllis Katz Foundation Gift, in memory of Michael Allan Katz, 2017
  • Object Number: 2017.179.3
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments

More Artwork

More Artwork
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"Winter" from "The Four Seasons" (Serial number 200), John Monteleone American, Tyrolean maple, Tyrolean spruce, curly red maple, Macassar ebony, sterling silver, mother-of-pearl, diamond, nickel plating, natural blonde nitro-cellulose lacquer finish, American
"Winter" from "The Four Seasons" (Serial number 200)
John Monteleone
2002
"Autumn" from "The Four Seasons" (serial number 203), John Monteleone American, Big-leaf maple, Tyrolean spruce, koa, Macassar ebony, curly red maple, stainless steel, spiny oyster coral stone, mother-of-pearl, diamond, gold plating, golden-brown nitro-cellulose lacquer finish, American
"Autumn" from "The Four Seasons" (serial number 203)
John Monteleone
2005
"Spring" from "The Four Seasons" (serial number 201), John Monteleone American, Red-tiger maple, Tyrolean spruce, Macassar ebony, curly red maple, mother-of-pearl, red abalone shell, turquoise, diamond, gold plating, blue nitro-cellulose lacquer finish, American
"Spring" from "The Four Seasons" (serial number 201)
John Monteleone
2006
Mandolin, John Monteleone American, Bavarian spruce, red maple, Italian-American
Mandolin
John Monteleone
1996
Guitar, John Monteleone American, Alaskan spruce; European spruce; Indian rosewood; Honduran mahogany; Gaboon ebony; Bone; Brazilian rosewood; mother of pearl; abalone; grained ivoroid; Schaller tuners; Nitrocellulose lacquer., American
Guitar
John Monteleone
June 1989

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