Jaagd en ryd, in wintertyd

Here we see a print titled ‘Hunting and Riding in Winter Time,’ made by Johannes Scheffers in Rotterdam. Two scenes depict winter activities, filled with symbols of wealth and leisure. In the upper register, a horse-drawn sleigh carries an affluent family, while below, figures struggle with a heavy trunk. The horse, a symbol of nobility and power, pulls the sleigh with spirited energy. Across cultures, the horse appears as a motif of vitality, linked to solar deities and triumphant processions. Here, the whip raised above the figures reminds me of similar gestures in Roman triumphs, where the victorious leader was both celebrated and warned against hubris. Yet, even in winter's grip, the artist conveys a sense of vivacity. The winter motifs—snowy landscapes and bundled figures—while literally indicative of the season, resonate with deeper psychological associations of hibernation and renewal, the cyclical promise that even the harshest conditions will give way to new life.