Februari c. 1560 - 1652

This is "Februari," an engraving by Julius Goltzius. The composition draws you into a frozen moment in time. The stark lines create a village scene under a winter sky, where bare trees stand like skeletal structures. The figures are busy with the laborious tasks that the month demands. The engraving’s power lies in its capacity to construct a world that is both representational and deeply symbolic. The absence of color in the print allows us to focus on the structure of the image. Notice the way light and shadow define the forms, creating depth. The scene is carefully constructed, and the arrangement of elements invites questions about the relationship between nature and culture, labor and leisure, and the way humans interact with the landscape. It’s a landscape of signs, inviting us to decode its meanings and contemplate the complex relationships it represents.