Winter after 1622

Matthäus Merian created this print called ‘Winter’ sometime in the first half of the 17th century. It offers a fascinating view of everyday life in a Northern European town. The image creates meaning through contrasting scenes. On the right, we see figures ice skating and sledding in front of a grand castle. But on the left, there’s a hanging and figures who appear to be digging. This could comment on the stark social structures of the time, particularly the ever-present threat of public punishment and the divide between the wealthy and the poor. Perhaps the people mining are searching for resources to pay their taxes to the state, represented by the castle. As art historians, we can better understand this work by researching the socio-political context of the time. We might ask ourselves: What were the common crimes and punishments? What were the prominent social classes? And what was the artist's relationship to those structures?