Vertumnus en Pomona 1635 - 1700

Matthias Scheits made this print "Vertumnus and Pomona" in the seventeenth century. It depicts a scene from Ovid's Metamorphoses, the tale of Vertumnus, the god of seasons, wooing Pomona, the goddess of fruit trees. But, the tale takes place in a very real social world. Look at how the artist creates meaning here. Consider the garden setting, the relationship between the sexes, and the classical references. Scheits was working in the Dutch Republic during its Golden Age, a time of great wealth and expanding trade networks. The Dutch cultivated their own gardens as a means of commerce and leisure. Also, look closely at the figure of Pomona: she is depicted here as a symbol of female virtue. But her nudity and coy demeanor also reflect the complex and often contradictory attitudes toward women in Dutch society. To fully appreciate art like this, we need to explore the historical context in which it was made and to consider the social and institutional forces that shaped its creation and reception.