Juli: dorsen (leeuw) 1599

Antonio Tempesta created this print, Juli: dorsen (leeuw), depicting the month of July, with etching techniques. Look closely, and you’ll see that the image teems with figures engaged in agricultural labor, from harvesting to threshing. The entire composition revolves around the process of food production. Tempesta’s etching beautifully captures the contrast between the natural world and human industry. Lines define the landscape, populated with workers and animals. Notice how the repetitive action of labor, rendered through line, contributes to the scene's dynamism. There's a social commentary embedded here too: while a figure on horseback surveys the scene, the labor is clearly being done by others. The print, as a multiple, connects to social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. It invites us to reflect on the means of production and the work involved in sustaining society. By emphasizing materials, making, and context, we challenge traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.