Middag 1667 - 1736

This engraving, entitled ‘Middag’, or midday, and made by an anonymous artist, presents a vision of leisure that carries complex social meanings. We see a muscular, nude man reclining on a cloud, crowned with laurel, and bearing the inscription ‘Meridies’ or midday, and below him figures rest and relax in a rural landscape. The image is reminiscent of classical depictions of gods or personifications of time, but it’s rendered in a style typical of the Northern Renaissance. The Netherlands, where this was likely made, saw the rise of a wealthy merchant class in the 16th and 17th centuries. So this image presents an idealized vision of leisurely rest, a social phenomenon that would have been increasingly available to those with the wealth to enjoy it. Understanding the social and cultural context of this image requires research into the material culture of the time, looking at household accounts, inventories, and other sources to understand the world in which it was made. This helps us to interpret art not just as aesthetic objects, but as historical documents that reflect the values and aspirations of a particular society.