Open full image Pin

Endpaper with the Twelve Months

German 18th Century

1750

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque 18th Century

Dominant colour

Endpaper with the Twelve Months is a 1750 ink by German 18th Century, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: German 18th Century
When & what style?: 1750 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This paper shows twelve tiny scenes arranged in a grid. Each square has a different month, with people doing things like harvesting or relaxing by trees. The colors are mostly dark purple with gold details that glow against it. The gold ink makes the scenes pop, like they’re lit from behind. The paper looks old but is still bright, with a border that frames the whole thing neatly. Look up woodcut next to see how this kind of printing works.