November 1705 - 1766

Curator: Here we have "November," an engraving created sometime between 1705 and 1766, and currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: It has such a strange, almost bleak atmosphere. The scene in the middle is of a city, but the elaborate, decorative frame is hard to ignore—almost like two different works. Curator: Precisely! Let’s start with the frame. It is so Baroque. Look at those intertwining foliage motifs and mythical creatures acting almost as pedestals. It’s a testament to the skill required to execute such detail using only lines, and it speaks volumes about the engraver’s role. Editor: The central image strikes me as the more crucial element, though. What's the narrative it portrays? I see what appears to be a nude figure toiling in front of townhouses. Curator: Ah, an astute observation. November often is represented by the activity of tilling the land. This engraving would have had use for a variety of laborers and workers, a calendar accessible to them. Notice too, the arrow through the circle up top; an astrological sign for the period, suggesting this image likely served some didactic or symbolic function within a larger societal framework. Editor: The interplay between the mundane act of labor and the artistic frame… it seems contradictory, though somehow compelling. I find my eye keeps moving around trying to organize the piece, trying to grasp a unified message in the details of each component. Curator: Indeed. The print allows us to think about material accessibility and art's role within different societal spheres. Who produced the ink? Where did they purchase their copper? Were all likely local or within the European continent? What type of lifestyle were the laborers able to produce for themselves and their families? Editor: From a purely aesthetic point, the crispness of the engraving's line work contributes to its graphic punch and visual clarity despite all those intricate embellishments. Curator: For me, the value lies in tracing how artistic techniques serve practical and symbolic functions for labor, society, the calendar, and the engraver. Editor: A compelling look at visual organization nonetheless! It's a study in contrasts and careful lines to be certain!