Summer 1735

Charles-Joseph Natoire created this print called "Summer", now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, using etching and engraving. The design emphasizes asymmetry; cherubic figures are massed to the left and balanced by a tree on the right, while above, an intense sun shines above. The composition uses classical allegorical forms to represent the season. Natoire employs a semiotic structure where each element carries meaning. The cherubs symbolize innocence and abundance. The sickle references harvest, and the sun signifies the height of summer’s power, all cultural codes understood within the artwork’s context. Note how the artist contrasts light and shadow through the fine lines of the engraving, creating depth and texture. These formal decisions reflect philosophical ideas about nature and its cycles, seen through an idealized lens. The attention to detail in the etching, combined with the symbolic language of the figures, exemplifies how Natoire uses form to invite contemplation on seasonal change and abundance. It prompts ongoing interpretation of seasonal representation in art.