December (one of a series representing the labors of the months)
1690 or slightly earlier
Medium
Red chalk
Dimensions
2 7/8 x 4 3/4 in. (7.3 x 12.1 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.97.34
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate red chalk drawing by Jonas Umbach, created around 1690, forms part of a series depicting the traditional “labors of the months.” The theme, rooted in medieval calendar cycles, portrays the seasonal rhythms of rural life, with December typically evoking winter preparations such as gathering firewood, tending livestock, or indoor domestic tasks. Umbach’s small-scale study captures these activities through figures of men, women, and animals set against modest houses, offering a glimpse into 17th-century European seasonal customs. Executed in red chalk on paper measuring just 2 7/8 ...
About the Artist
Jonas Umbach · 1624–1693
Comment on works: Landscapes; History; Kitchen interiors; Birds