The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 18, 2024
The Seasons: Summer
1643–1644
(Bohemian, 1607–1677)
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection 1959.317.2
Catalogue raisonné: Parthey 607
Location: not on view
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 background depicts St. James Park, with the Banqueting House and Old St. Paul's Cathedral along the horizon. The inscription reads: "How Phoebus, crowns our Summer days / With stronger heat and brighter rays / Her lovely neck, and breast are bare, / Whilst her fan does cool the Air."- J. P. Heseltine, London (L. 1508); William Morris Tilden; Saranac Lake, NY
- Sets and Series: Five Centuries of Master Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (February 20-May 5, 1996). no cat.The Ikle and Jacoby Collection of Laces and Embroideries. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (April 25-June 3, 1962).
- {{cite web|title=The Seasons: Summer|url=false|author=Wenceslaus Hollar|year=1643–1644|access-date=18 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1959.317.2