Al de vier getyden pralen / In deez' tafreelenpragt [(...)] 1806 - 1830

J. Robyn created this print, “All four seasons shine in these beautiful scenes,” using etching techniques. The print allegorizes Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Prints such as this, made in the Netherlands, were part of a culture of reproduction and dissemination of images. They were often accompanied by explanatory text, either incorporated into the image, as here, or as a separate sheet. The Rijksmuseum, where this print now resides, began as a collection of books, prints, and drawings, reflecting a Northern European emphasis on graphic arts, even before photography. The images here are conventional representations of each season. Consider how the seasons were understood historically as more than simply meteorological phenomena. They were closely tied to agricultural practices, seasonal labor, and cyclical time. These prints, then, visually encoded a specifically Dutch understanding of the natural world. To learn more, consider researching Dutch printmaking, the economic structures supporting its distribution, and the growth of institutions for collecting. Meaning is always shaped by such historical contexts.