Artwork Page for The Seasons

Details / Information for The Seasons

The Seasons

1643–44

Wenceslaus Hollar

(Bohemian, 1607–1677)
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Culture
Bohemia
Medium
etching
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection 1959.317
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Increments of time, such as the seasons, were one of the most popular subjects for printed sets. Wenceslaus Hollar alone made six different versions. Hollar was a professional printmaker with over 3,000 prints to his credit. Born in Bohemia, he worked in Germany, London, and Antwerp. He came to London in 1636 while in the employ of the Earl of Arundel, an important collector that Hollar met in Germany. Apparently free to pursue independent projects, Hollar designed and etched this series around 1643–44. Here, each season is personified by elegantly clad ladies, appropriately dressed for their particular climate, with recognizable landmarks in and around London in the backgrounds. The inscriptions, in an older version of English, are slightly suggestive, in keeping with the lighthearted character of the imagery. The inscription reads: "Welcome sweet Lady you do bring / Rich presents of a hopeful Spring / That makes the Earth to look so green / As when she first began to teem."
A vertically oriented etching in black ink depicts a woman with light skin tone facing us with a neutral expression. She holds tulips in her right hand while lifting her shimmering skirt with her left. She wears a lace-trimmed shawl over a laced bodice. Her curly hair features a flower. Behind her, a landscape with a large manor house and gardens recedes toward a cloudy horizon. Inscribed text runs along the bottom.

The Seasons

1643–44

Wenceslaus Hollar

(Bohemian, 1607–1677)
Bohemia

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