The Seasons [1/2 proof of cut plate "Spring"] 1990

This is "The Seasons," a trial proof by Jasper Johns. It depicts a rabbit, ladder, and child's silhouette interwoven with abstract geometric shapes. The rabbit, a harbinger of spring, has ancient roots as a symbol of fertility and rebirth, seen in pagan rituals and later adopted in Christian Easter iconography. The ladder, a motif present throughout art history, from Jacob's Ladder in biblical lore to its appearance in surrealist paintings, symbolizes ascent and connection between earthly and spiritual realms. Johns' integration of the child's silhouette—a figure often associated with innocence—and geometric shapes introduces a layer of psychological complexity. These shapes are reminiscent of Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, which connects the human form with the order of the cosmos. Notice how these symbols resonate with ancestral memory, surfacing in myriad forms across eras, reflecting our deep-seated yearning for renewal, transcendence, and understanding of the human condition.