The Pleasures of the Seasons- Winter c. 1730

Johann Georg Platzer painted this panel, “The Pleasures of the Seasons - Winter,” capturing a scene of warmth and revelry. At its core, we see the embodiment of winter's pleasures: figures engrossed in games, music, and drink, all warmed by a crackling fire, a timeless tableau of human connection against the cold. The painting brims with symbols that echo throughout art history. The motif of figures gathered around a game connects to scenes depicted in Roman art, where leisure and social interaction are celebrated, or even Dutch Golden Age paintings. These symbols speak to a collective memory of communal joy, a form of resistance against the desolation of winter. The scene is imbued with a sense of emotional depth; the expressions and postures of the figures convey a range of human emotions. This raw emotionality serves as a powerful force, inviting us to connect with the scene on a subconscious level. The cyclical return to these images, with its emotional weight, reveals our shared humanity.