December 1679 - 1704

Cornelis Dusart created this print, "December," sometime around 1700 in the Netherlands using the etching technique. The image presents a raucous scene of peasants skating on ice, emphasizing themes of rural life and leisure. Dusart’s image reflects a broader interest in genre scenes, popular in the Netherlands at this time, that often served to depict and sometimes critique social behaviors. The exaggerated features and somewhat clumsy movements of the figures can be seen as a commentary on the perceived lack of refinement among the lower classes. This work was produced during the Dutch Golden Age, a period marked by significant economic prosperity and cultural flourishing, yet also characterized by rigid social hierarchies. Artists like Dusart operated within a market-driven system, catering to the tastes of a middle-class audience eager for images that both celebrated and gently mocked the social order. Understanding this etching requires that we look closely at the social dynamics of the time, using period literature and social histories to uncover the meanings that were embedded in such representations of everyday life. Art, after all, is always a product of its time, shaped by the prevailing attitudes and structures of power.