Winter (Hiems - Æolos) 1639 - 1684

Curator: Here we have "Winter (Hiems - Aeolos)," a fascinating engraving dating from between 1639 and 1684, housed here at the SMK. Editor: It’s all chilly blues and greys, even though it's just monochrome, if you get me. I feel the wind just looking at it! And yet, there's a cozy vibe too. Curator: Indeed. It presents an allegory of winter through both landscape and portraiture. Consider how the scene integrates the figures of Hiems and Aeolos— winter and wind, respectively— within the context of broader societal shifts, especially relating to climate and its effects on seventeenth-century Dutch life. The contrast with the outdoor scenes and people engaging with them further emphasizes the harsh realities. Editor: Look at the people skating! They seem so far away, like little ants on the ice. While up close, you’ve got this couple… maybe royalty? It gives a stage play feeling. I love the almost cartoonish look. And is that guy holding a frozen fish impaled on a stick?! It’s…festive-macabre, you know? Curator: Precisely. The inclusion of Aeolos with the symbolic 'trident' crafted from what appears to be an animal appendage is rife with meaning. We can understand this element through studies that interrogate pre-capitalist ecologies. Winter, with its implicit threats of famine, but also class and power are themes interwoven throughout this engraving. Editor: Okay, fancy words! All I know is, seeing this today makes me wanna curl up with a hot chocolate and a good book. It feels super real in the emotional way, despite being super old! Curator: And that's perhaps where its strength lies - this bridging of lived experiences and allegorical representation. What’s your ultimate takeaway? Editor: Simply? Even when everything’s frozen over, life finds a way to be beautiful... and slightly strange. What about you? Curator: That, art is always shaped and always reflects back at us. Hopefully more attuned now.