November (one of a series representing the labors of the months) 1690

Curator: This drawing has such a warm, faded feeling, like looking at a memory. It reminds me of autumnal walks and old hunting stories. What do you see? Editor: It's certainly intriguing, rendered entirely in sanguine ink on toned paper. A skilled method from 1690 by Jonas Umbach, this drawing is titled "November," part of a series illustrating the labors of the months, now residing at The Met. The visual architecture hinges on a foreground tableau. Curator: "Labors," yes, hunting indeed feels like hard work when the wind is biting! The lone rider is followed by his dogs and this poor fellow with his heavy burden. He almost vanishes back there in the landscape with the house and hazy mountains. I feel exhaustion! Editor: Note how Umbach meticulously builds layers with a singular, restricted palette. Through varied line weights and cross-hatching, he gives the figures heft, distinguishing man, horse, and hound, while rendering the buildings in the distance airy and recessive. The pen and ink achieve different textures beautifully. Curator: Do you think that the blood-red of the ink reflects the hunt, too? Or maybe this November has more to do with quiet preparations, bringing stores into the house? Editor: Perhaps both? Symbolically, we could view the sanguine hue as representing the cycle of life, tied explicitly to both subsistence and sacrifice. A very philosophical take for such a pastoral sketch, don’t you think? Curator: But even in simplicity, there's often a hidden depth. Looking closely lets us feel the very pulse of the old masters—still breathing, and maybe even snickering to see us debate the meaning behind their every little stroke. What do you reckon? Editor: Precisely, and Umbach provides plentiful substance, deftly using classical elements of composition in a drawing filled with understated technical innovation and material harmony.