Winter and Summer, Wenceslaus Hollar, 1644
etching, h 261mm × w 179mm More details
Hollar’s rendering of the Four Seasons is very unusual. Rather than following tradition by showing seasonal scenes of peasant labour, he represented how English women modified their ensembles throughout the year. Shielding her face from the sun with a sheer veil, ‘Summer’ cools herself with a fan. The hooded figure of ‘Winter’ cloaks herself in furs and protects her delicate, exposed skin with a mask and fur muff.
