The Labors of the Months: Ploughing (September) 1530 - 1565

Jean II Pénicaud created this enamel plaque of Ploughing, or September, sometime in the mid-sixteenth century. It's one of a series depicting the labors of the months. This image captures the visual codes of rural labor. Here we see two figures and two horses ploughing a field under the September sun. It reflects the importance of agriculture in 16th century France. The emphasis on the role of man and animal in producing food speaks to social class. Such images reflect a hierarchy with peasants at the bottom and the land-owning aristocracy at the top. These small enamel paintings were collected by the wealthy elite. To fully understand works like this, historians delve into agricultural practices, social hierarchies, and the art market of the period. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.