Autumn: a young woman holding a rabbit 1775

Editor: So, here we have Richard Houston's 1775 engraving, "Autumn: a young woman holding a rabbit." It's incredibly gentle, almost dreamlike. The woman’s gaze is so tender, and the whole image is soft with these greyscale tones. How do you interpret this work? Curator: For me, it's all about the dance between the real and the symbolic. She’s "Autumn," of course – note the grapes – but also just a woman, connecting with a creature in her arms. Isn’t that lovely? Houston seems to capture that fleeting, melancholic feeling that comes with the season itself. Almost as if summer just had a party, and now the guests have gone. Editor: A melancholic party! That’s beautifully put. The rabbit seems an odd choice, though. I thought harvests, maybe, when thinking of autumn. Why the bunny? Curator: Well, rabbits are symbols of both abundance and vulnerability. It makes sense if this engraving embodies that harvest time sentiment: a bountiful moment that’s precious precisely *because* you know winter is coming. The engraving feels allegorical, yes, but it has an undeniable earthy quality about it. You could almost reach out and touch her soft drapery. Editor: So it's less about, say, the grand narrative of the seasons, and more about the individual experience of *feeling* autumn? Curator: Exactly! Isn't it gorgeous? It’s the way Houston allows you to feel the *fleeting* moment of a season. A soft grey breath on the window pane. Editor: I see that now, yes. Thank you! Looking at it again, knowing the vulnerability mixed with the bounty really enriches it. It makes you want to savour it more. Curator: That is what art is meant to do - to encourage deep thought.