Hooimaand 1630

Evert Wyntgis made this pen and ink drawing, titled "Hooimaand," which translates to "Hay Month," referencing the seasonal labor of hay harvesting. It was probably made in the Netherlands. The image shows us a country scene where a gentleman on horseback oversees peasants at work in the fields. Above the figures hovers a lion, which is probably a zodiacal symbol for the month of Leo, the time of the hay harvest. The drawing vividly depicts the labor and hierarchy of rural society, which could be referencing the agricultural practices and social structure of the time. It seems to comment on the social order, showing the divide between the working class and the landowners. To understand this work more fully, we’d need to research Dutch rural life in the early modern period, looking at farming practices, seasonal calendars, and social hierarchies.