Artwork
The Twelve Months: June
The Twelve Months: June is a print by the Baroque artist Velde, Jan van de, II. It dates from 1613 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1960.143.7
- Credit line
- Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection
About this work
Overview
Jan van de Velde II, a Dutch printmaker active in the early seventeenth century, produced the engraving titled The Twelve Months: June in 1613. The image forms part of a larger calendar series that illustrates typical activities associated with each month, and it is presently held by the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a tranquil village in early summer. Central to the scene is a tall church flanked by trees, while a winding lane leads the eye past three laborers, one kneeling beside a wheelbarrow, another adjusting a cart, and a third holding a shovel. A grazing cow appears in the background, underscoring the agrarian rhythm of June.
Technique & Style
Executed as an intaglio print, the work relies on fine line work and cross‑hatching to render texture and depth. Van de Velde’s handling of light creates a softly clouded sky, and the careful modulation of tone distinguishes figures from the surrounding landscape, reflecting the meticulous detail typical of Dutch Golden Age printmaking.
History & Provenance
Born into a family of artists, son of Jan van de Velde the Elder and father of still‑life painter Jan Jansz van de Velde, Jan van de Velde II produced this piece amid a prolific period of print production. The engraving entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection through acquisition in the twentieth century, where it remains on display.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan van de Velde the younger (1593 – c. 1 November 1641) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker, mostly of animal, landscape and still-life subjects. He was the son of Jan van de Velde the Elder and the father of…
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