November 17th century

This is an anonymous woodcut print titled 'November'. The composition is dense, packed with figures and objects rendered in stark black lines against the off-white of the paper. This contrast immediately draws the eye to the graphic depiction of rural life. The scene is framed by a rectangle and divided into three zones. A woman stirring a pot in the centre, flanked by figures slaughtering an animal to the right and animals to the left. The artist creates a sense of depth through the overlapping of forms. This print engages with the cycles of life, death, and sustenance. The visual organisation of the artwork into distinct yet connected zones highlights the interdependence of these activities. It suggests a world where labor, food production, and the natural world are tightly interwoven. Note how the figures on the right have a more active and engaged posture, creating a dynamic contrast with the more passive figure on the left. The woodcut serves not merely as a representation of a specific month but as a structured commentary on the rhythms of human existence. It leaves us to contemplate how such images encode cultural values and shape our understanding of the world.