Zomer 1606

This is an engraving called "Zomer", or "Summer", made by an anonymous artist. The image shows a nude, muscular man crowned with wheat, holding a bundle of wheat in one arm and a sheaf of wheat in his raised hand. The zodiac symbols for Cancer and Virgo appear in the top corners, with the word “AESTAS” – Latin for summer – between them. It's part of a series representing the four seasons. The tradition of personifying the seasons through human figures, often nude or semi-nude, goes back to classical antiquity, with the intent of visualizing the cyclical concept of time. In the context of its likely creation in the Netherlands, this print represents the social and economic importance of agriculture. As a historian, I can dig deeper into the artistic conventions and social conditions around such works. A good starting point would be prints and drawings collections like those held here at the Rijksmuseum. These collections can help us better understand art as a product of its time.