December, from the series The Months

Art Historical Context

This engraving, titled *December from the series *The Months*, offers a charming glimpse into seasonal life in the late 16th or early 17th century. Created through the collaborative efforts of designer Hans Bol and engraver Adriaen Collaert, the print depicts a wintry landscape filled with buildings, trees, and figures engaged in everyday work. Such series were popular in Northern Europe, using the months as a framework to celebrate the rhythms of nature and human activity throughout the year. As an engraving on laid paper, the work highlights the precision and detail possible in printmaking, a medium that allowed artists to share intricate scenes with a wider audience. The small scale—roughly six inches square—makes it an intimate piece, inviting close looking at the textures of bark, rooftops, and clothing rendered through fine lines. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this bequest from Grace M. Pugh preserves a beautiful example of how art captured both the beauty and labor of the changing seasons for viewers centuries ago.