Herfst 1580 - 1584

This engraving titled 'Herfst', or 'Autumn' was created by Johann Sadeler I. The dominant figure, overflowing with grapes, embodies the season of harvest and abundance, echoing Bacchus, the god of wine, whose followers are collecting grapes in the background. Such imagery hearkens back to classical antiquity, yet it resurfaces throughout the ages. The motif of the cornucopia, or horn of plenty, is a similar symbol of abundance found in Roman art, often associated with fertility goddesses. This archetype appears in later art, sometimes transformed into a more secular symbol of prosperity. This representation touches something deep within our collective memory, triggering associations with nature's bounty, fertility, and the cyclical rhythms of life. Through his art, Sadeler taps into this powerful, non-linear progression of symbols, demonstrating how they resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings across time.