Spring 1883 - 1884

Elihu Vedder's 1883-1884 drawing, "Spring," depicts a man seated and writing while a nude woman stands behind him. The drawing, rendered in black and white, is characteristic of Vedder's style, which was heavily influenced by Pre-Raphaelite principles and embraced the romantic and symbolic. The image is full of symbolism, such as the wine jug and the orb, representing the temptations of life. The poem inscribed on the right of the drawing adds to the work's allegorical nature. The contrasting figures of the woman and the writer highlight the tension between physicality and intellectualism. This piece is a prime example of Vedder's talent for capturing the complexities of the human experience in a visually stunning and evocative way.