Juli 17th century

Editor: This woodcut, called "Juli", from the 17th century, by an anonymous artist, really gives the sense of looking in on a scene. Almost like peering into someone's everyday life in a distant century. What social and cultural contexts shaped images like this one? Curator: Well, the rise of printmaking in the 17th century democratized image production and circulation. These types of scenes – landscapes with peasants working, resting, sometimes feasting – weren’t new, but the possibility for broad consumption was. Notice that the image is paired with a sign that depicts an Ox above the landscape. Editor: I did see that little drawing of the Ox at the top. What would it signify in this composition? Curator: It might well signify the Zodiac sign Taurus, linked to the month of July, right? These prints were created as series illustrating calendar pages and months. Do you see how the work depicts various stages of agricultural production that are specifically associated with the summer season? This brings into focus how images served as calendars of sorts. They visualized temporal rhythms of the world as then perceived and made them readily available to larger groups of people. How does knowing this, change your appreciation of it? Editor: It totally recontextualizes the scene. It's not just someone's life; it is representative of time, the world around them, and of shared experience! These images weren't simply aesthetic; they shaped our understanding of time and seasonal activities. It’s mind-blowing. Curator: Indeed! These prints engaged audiences with the socio-political forces and institutional settings that gave life rhythm and gave form to a visual experience of historical time. Editor: Thanks to this insight, I can see "Juli" not just as a picture but as a historical document that connects the social and cultural elements of the period.