Winter 1777 - 1801

Hendrik Leffert Meyling made this print called Winter using etching, sometime between 1772 and 1821. The main title is made up of elaborate calligraphy, but there are also little winter scenes inserted at the top. The practice of calligraphy in the Netherlands, especially in the 18th century, was deeply connected with civic and mercantile life. Skilled penmanship was necessary for legal clerks, merchants and government officials. Making elaborate lettering and ornamental designs became a kind of display of civic pride and commercial success. It's not surprising that a winter scene would be among the chosen themes. The Dutch Golden Age saw the rise of winter landscape painting as a distinct genre, capturing the unique atmosphere of frozen canals and snowy rooftops. To understand this print more fully, we might consult archives of Dutch civic life, apprenticeship records for calligraphers, and histories of Dutch landscape painting. This artwork reflects a specific time and place, revealing the social and institutional context in which it was created.