April 1705 - 1766

This print, titled Aprilis, was made anonymously using etching in the 1700s. The image depicts labor in the countryside in April, specifically. A man digs while a woman churns butter in the background. The culture of the 1700s saw the rise of the art market. This involved the invention of new institutions, like the art critic. The popularization of new genres and media also took place, such as history painting and printmaking. As prints became more common, they often reflected romanticized notions of the peasantry and the countryside as being idyllic. As cities became more populated, wealthy people began to yearn for a simpler time. Art historians use a variety of resources to analyze this artwork, including auction records, biographies of artists, and historical analyses of art criticism. These resources can help the modern viewer understand the social and institutional context for artworks like Aprilis.