September: wijnoogst (weegschaal) 1599

Antonio Tempesta created this print titled 'September: wijnoogst (weegschaal)' sometime between 1555 and 1630, and it now resides in the Rijksmuseum. It offers us a window into the pastoral life and labor practices of the late Renaissance. The print depicts a vibrant scene of the grape harvest, intertwined with the astrological sign of Libra. There are men and women working together in the vineyards, a vision of labor that is seemingly harmonious. Yet, we must consider the power dynamics at play here. Who owns the land? Who benefits most from this labor? Tempesta, working within a patriarchal society, may not have been fully aware of the nuances of these social inequalities. The idealized image of the harvest becomes a stage upon which we can reflect on the intersections of labor, gender, and class. The emotional resonance of the artwork lies in its ability to evoke a sense of nostalgia for a simpler way of life, even as it prompts us to question the realities of that life for those who lived it.