DOI Artikel:
Tomalak, Mirosław: Two Unknown Paintings by Lodewijk Toeput and Joos de Momper the Younger
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.72800#0149
Mirosław of personifications they depict classical deities. As Ilja Veldman observes, this
Tomalak first scheme was popular already in Antiquity, when either female figures, horae,
or later, in the imperial times, male winged genii represented specific seasons.21
The attributes of these personifications were easy to recognize and to associate
with each time of the year. Their standardized and more or less fixed reper-
tory included flowers for Spring, ears of corn for Summer, grapes and other
fruit for Autumn, and twigs, ducks, or hares in the case of Winter. This tradi-
tion was rare in the Middle Ages, although it was never completely forgotten.
When renewed in the Renaissance, it developed in two directions: some art-
ists, as Maarten van Heemskerck in the cycle of prints executed in 156322 came
back to this classical scheme, while others, like Lambert Lombard in his four
engravings published by Hieronymus Cock in 1568 chose to depict antique gods
and goddesses instead of seasons' personifications.23 Between these two modes
we can place the already-mentioned prints by Monogrammist A.P. from the
British Museum, which, as we have seen, served as a model for another series
of the seasons by Pozzoserrato. According to Veldman, these woodcuts are "the
earliest Netherlandish example of quartet of personifications."24 The place of
honour is occupied by Flora, Ceres, Pomona, and Janus, but the specific clas-
sical personifications can still be seen in the crowd surrounding the cars. The
artists interpretation of the pictorial tradition which he referred to was influ-
enced by both ancient and early modern texts, such as Ovid's Metamorphoses or
Francesco Collonna's Hypnerotomachia Poliphili.25 He enriched the iconography
of the antique pattern and abandoned its simplicity, just as Heemskerck did
in the cycle from 1563. However, the latter chose another source of inspiration:
depictions of labours of the months, which first appeared in the 13th century, but
had been preceded by late antique / early medieval representations of the months
on the example of human activities appropriate to each of them. In the prints
Heemskerck selected several of these works: planting of young vines, milking,
and hunting (Spring), hay making, sheep-shearing and harvesting (Summer),
grape-picking, harrowing, sowing, as well as the slaughter of livestock (Autumn),
and, finally, feasting and warming by a fireplace ( Winter). In this combination of
labours of the months with specific personifications Heemskerck's series is close
21 Ilja Μ. Veldman, Waaien met de mode mee. De Vier Jaargetijden in de prentkunst van
de Nederlanden [in:] De vier jaargetijden in de kunst van Nederlanden 1500-1750 [exhibition cata-
logue], red. Yvette Bruijnen & P. Huys Janssen, Leuven, Stedelijk Museum Vander Kelen - Mertens,
Zwolle 2003, p. 73. See also: eadem, Seasons, Planets and Temperaments in the Work of Maarten
van Heemskerck. Cosmo-astrological Allegory in Sixteenth-century Netherlandish Prints, "Simiolus"
1980, vol. 11, no. 3/4, p. 151.
22 Maarten van Heemskerck, The Four Seasons, 1563, engraved by Philips Galle. Sets of
these prints are at the Amsterdam Rijksprentenkabinet, Die Graphische Sammlung der Albertina
in Vienna and in the printrooms in Leiden, Copenhagen and Dresden.
23 The complete series is preserved i.e. at the Koninklijke Bibliotheek in Brussels.
24 Veldman, Seasons..., p. 156.
25 Ibidem, p. 157.
148
Tomalak first scheme was popular already in Antiquity, when either female figures, horae,
or later, in the imperial times, male winged genii represented specific seasons.21
The attributes of these personifications were easy to recognize and to associate
with each time of the year. Their standardized and more or less fixed reper-
tory included flowers for Spring, ears of corn for Summer, grapes and other
fruit for Autumn, and twigs, ducks, or hares in the case of Winter. This tradi-
tion was rare in the Middle Ages, although it was never completely forgotten.
When renewed in the Renaissance, it developed in two directions: some art-
ists, as Maarten van Heemskerck in the cycle of prints executed in 156322 came
back to this classical scheme, while others, like Lambert Lombard in his four
engravings published by Hieronymus Cock in 1568 chose to depict antique gods
and goddesses instead of seasons' personifications.23 Between these two modes
we can place the already-mentioned prints by Monogrammist A.P. from the
British Museum, which, as we have seen, served as a model for another series
of the seasons by Pozzoserrato. According to Veldman, these woodcuts are "the
earliest Netherlandish example of quartet of personifications."24 The place of
honour is occupied by Flora, Ceres, Pomona, and Janus, but the specific clas-
sical personifications can still be seen in the crowd surrounding the cars. The
artists interpretation of the pictorial tradition which he referred to was influ-
enced by both ancient and early modern texts, such as Ovid's Metamorphoses or
Francesco Collonna's Hypnerotomachia Poliphili.25 He enriched the iconography
of the antique pattern and abandoned its simplicity, just as Heemskerck did
in the cycle from 1563. However, the latter chose another source of inspiration:
depictions of labours of the months, which first appeared in the 13th century, but
had been preceded by late antique / early medieval representations of the months
on the example of human activities appropriate to each of them. In the prints
Heemskerck selected several of these works: planting of young vines, milking,
and hunting (Spring), hay making, sheep-shearing and harvesting (Summer),
grape-picking, harrowing, sowing, as well as the slaughter of livestock (Autumn),
and, finally, feasting and warming by a fireplace ( Winter). In this combination of
labours of the months with specific personifications Heemskerck's series is close
21 Ilja Μ. Veldman, Waaien met de mode mee. De Vier Jaargetijden in de prentkunst van
de Nederlanden [in:] De vier jaargetijden in de kunst van Nederlanden 1500-1750 [exhibition cata-
logue], red. Yvette Bruijnen & P. Huys Janssen, Leuven, Stedelijk Museum Vander Kelen - Mertens,
Zwolle 2003, p. 73. See also: eadem, Seasons, Planets and Temperaments in the Work of Maarten
van Heemskerck. Cosmo-astrological Allegory in Sixteenth-century Netherlandish Prints, "Simiolus"
1980, vol. 11, no. 3/4, p. 151.
22 Maarten van Heemskerck, The Four Seasons, 1563, engraved by Philips Galle. Sets of
these prints are at the Amsterdam Rijksprentenkabinet, Die Graphische Sammlung der Albertina
in Vienna and in the printrooms in Leiden, Copenhagen and Dresden.
23 The complete series is preserved i.e. at the Koninklijke Bibliotheek in Brussels.
24 Veldman, Seasons..., p. 156.
25 Ibidem, p. 157.
148