Herfst c. 1578 - 1582

This engraving, *Herfst*, meaning Autumn, was made by Philips Galle, a Dutch artist, in the late 16th century. It's an image that speaks to the social organization of labor. Look closely and you'll see the division of tasks: men up ladders harvesting, women carrying baskets, and others processing grapes. The vineyard setting evokes a specific type of agricultural production in the Netherlands at that time. The presence of the building in the background, the overseer and the use of a donkey tells us of a structured hierarchy of labor. This was an industry that required a certain level of capital investment and organization. Engravings like these circulated widely. They are valuable historical records reflecting the economic structures of their time. To fully understand this image, we might look at land records, economic histories of viticulture in the Netherlands, and the printmaking industry of the time. Only then can we really understand the social conditions that shape this artwork.