Artwork
January
January is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Velde, Jan van de, II. It dates from 1617 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
January is an etching created by Jan van de Velde the Younger in 1617, representing a winter scene alongside a frozen river, capturing the daily activities of people and animals during this season.
Subject & Meaning
The etching portrays a lively winter landscape with people skating, socializing, and hauling sleds, set against a backdrop of bare trees, a distant snowy town with smoking chimneys, and the label 'JANUARIUS', indicating its purpose as a calendar print highlighting seasonal pursuits.
Technique & Style
As an etching, 'January' exemplifies Van de Velde's use of this medium, characterized by incised lines on a copper plate, inked and printed to produce the image. The piece reflects the Dutch Golden Age's attention to detail in landscape and everyday life depictions.
History & Provenance
Created in 1617 by Jan van de Velde the Younger (1593-?), a Dutch painter and printmaker from a family of artists, 'January' is part of a tradition of calendar prints, often sold in sets to illustrate monthly themes and activities.
Context
Part of a broader 17th-century Dutch practice of producing seasonal prints, 'January' would have been appreciated for its depiction of winter life, likely appealing to a market seeking representations of the year's cycles for decorative or illustrative purposes.
Legacy
While specific legacy details of 'January' are not highlighted, as a work by Van de Velde the Younger, it contributes to the broader appreciation of Dutch Golden Age printmaking and the tradition of calendar illustrations that reflected everyday Dutch life.
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…
