De viergetyden des jaars after 1803

This print of "The Four Seasons" was made by Jacobus Wendel in Amsterdam. It is an etching, made by incising lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. What’s fascinating here is the translation of human labor into a reproducible image. Each of the scenes represents seasonal tasks: plowing the land in spring, tending animals in summer, harvesting in autumn, and enjoying winter leisure. By rendering these activities into a printed format, Wendel offers a commentary on labor and its rhythms, making it available for consumption. The choice of etching as a medium is important too. Unlike painting, which might aggrandize rural life, etching relies on line and detail, mirroring the precise work of the seasons. Even the addition of color, likely done by hand, speaks to the intersection of craft and commerce in Dutch society. Ultimately, this print invites us to consider the labor behind both the image itself and the world it depicts, blurring the lines between art, craft, and the everyday realities of 17th-century life.