Figure of Summer from the Four Seasons
Medium
hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
{"overall":{"height":0.27,"width":0.159,"depth":0.117}}
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Decorative Art and Design
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Bequest of Mary Warden Harkness
Accession Number
1917.611.3
Tags
gender unknown
About this artwork
The modern notion of childhood as a time of innocence and simplicity emerged during the second half of the eighteenth century. This understanding of adolescence led to numerous depictions of children as personifications of the four seasons. Here summer is portrayed as a young boy holding a sheaf of wheat as he leans against the beehive next to him. Both grain and honey have been associated with summer harvests and their accompanying festivals since antiquity.