November 1540 - 1560

Curator: Here we have “November,” an ink drawing on paper created sometime between 1540 and 1560 by the artist known only as the Monogrammist JH of JHE. What's your first take on this genre scene? Editor: The overarching mood strikes me as incredibly laborious and dreary. It seems like we're witnessing a scene of rural workers relentlessly battling against the encroaching winter. The bleak, nearly bare trees in the background certainly emphasize the harshness of their lives and the time of year. Curator: I agree; bleakness is key here. The artist masterfully uses sparse ink lines to evoke that feeling. Look at how the figures, though small, are actively engaged in tasks associated with the month of November such as chopping wood, highlighting preparations for winter. I think that's how “November” finds enduring relevance, because it captures those archetypal tasks and themes associated with that period of transition. Editor: Absolutely. Labor and preparation, but who exactly performs it and what kind of social dynamics does this entail? We've got various figures at work, but their status within this agrarian structure, perhaps even feudal structure, becomes essential. The figure with the fallen tree stands isolated but prominent, with an archer seeming to float above him. What kind of narrative do you see emerging in these contrasts? Curator: Interesting. I see the archer not necessarily as a contrasting element, but maybe symbolic of Saint Martin of Tours whose feast day falls in November, who traditionally represents charity, particularly of providing for the poor. Editor: It might hint at those symbolic and perhaps propagandistic overlays too, yes. Consider, however, what such an association then subtly occludes about those toiling figures, or reinforces about societal roles within unequal medieval social relations? This seemingly innocent seasonal tableau then risks actually enshrining the very hierarchies that caused the inequities and hard labor to begin with. Curator: It's true we see the genre conventions filtered through a complex socio-political lens. I believe the artist, in rendering November's labors with such directness, prompts us to think about not just the calendar month itself, but of our roles and obligations toward our shared environment, as well. Editor: So much packed into one small drawing, indeed! Curator: It makes you wonder how people viewed nature’s rhythms and how it intertwined with labor and spiritual life.