Autumn 1740

Editor: So, this relief sculpture in marble, called "Autumn", was created around 1740 by Jacob de Wit. It has such a serene, almost dreamlike quality. The figures seem to float in the marble. What strikes you most about it? Curator: Oh, it’s like stumbling upon a secret garden rendered in stone, isn’t it? For me, it’s the way de Wit manages to capture such fleshy, almost chubby, figures in a medium so inherently cold and unyielding. The Baroque loved to play with contrasts. Have you ever considered how he transforms the stark white marble into something so playful? Editor: It's funny you say garden; I was just thinking how the grapes and overflowing urn feel abundant. I didn't realize that these figures could represent a season. Is that correct? Curator: Precisely! Autumn, of course. That little cherub, practically overflowing with joy and plumpness, is practically dripping with the fruits of the harvest – the ultimate symbol of autumnal plenty. I wonder, do you think he’s having fun, or is he burdened by all that responsibility? Editor: He looks like he's ready for mischief. Maybe it's not responsibility he's feeling, but more of a...delicious anticipation of all those grapes. All that weight, that season's weight. Curator: Oh, absolutely, a deliciously weighty responsibility. Think of the deeper themes here - fruition, plenty, even a hint of the slide towards winter’s dormancy. Are we just celebrating abundance or facing its ephemerality? That single marble says so much, no? Editor: Wow, that adds a whole layer to it. Seeing it simply as cherubs and grapes now seems so…shallow. I’ll definitely remember the ephemerality. Thanks for sharing. Curator: And thank you, it is so easy to fall into patterns, to assume too much. You reminded me to truly *see* the glee in those eyes and that plumpness in the marble, as if all harvests are both blessings and premonitions.