1644
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
The Seasons: Spring is a 1644 by Wenceslaus Hollar, a Baroque work, depicting Bohemia, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This engraving shows Spring with a woman in a simple dress holding a basket of flowers. Her hair falls loose over her shoulder, and a small lamb stands near her feet. Tiny birds perch on branches behind her. It’s one of six seasonal prints Hollar made. Most artists grouped seasons in paintings, but Hollar made them as prints. That made the images easier to share and collect. Look up Wenceslaus Hollar (Bohemian, 1607–1677).
Increments of time, such as the seasons, were one of the most popular subjects for printed sets. Wenceslaus Hollar alone made six different versions. Hollar was a professional printmaker with over 3,000 prints to his credit. Born in Bohemia, he worked in Germany, London, and Antwerp. He came to London in 1636 while in the employ of the Earl of Arundel, an important collector that Hollar met in Germany. Apparently free to pursue independent projects, Hollar designed and etched this series around 1643–44. Here, each season is personified by elegantly clad ladies, appropriately dressed for their…
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Wenceslaus Hollar (Czech: Václav Hollar (Czech pronunciation: ), German: Wenzel Hollar; 23 July 1607 – 25 March 1677) was a Czech engraver, etcher and painter.
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