Hyems, from Four Seasons
c. 1589
Medium
Engraving on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 10.3 × 13.3 cm (4 1/16 × 5 1/4 in.); sheet: 18.1 × 24.3 cm (7 3/16 × 9 5/8 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
267940
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
**Hyems, from *Four Seasons*** *Philips Galle, c. 1589* *Engraving ivory laid paper* *Plate: 10.3 × 13.3 cm (4 1/16 × 5 1/4 in.); Sheet: 18.1 × 24.3 cm (7 3/16 × 9 5/8 in.)* *Art Institute of Chicago Prints and Drawings Department* Step into the chilly embrace of with *Hyems* (Latin for "winter"), one of Philips Galle's enchanting engravings from hisFour Seasons* series, around 1589. This intimate print captures the stark beauty of the season, likely featuring frosty landscapes and human activities adapted to the cold—a common motif in Northern Renaissance art that celebrated the cyclical rhythms of nature and rural life. Philips Galle, a masterful Flemish engraver active in Antwerp during the late 16th century, was renowned for his precise reproductive prints that brought renowned designs to wider audiences. Engraving, an intaglio technique where intricate lines are incised into a copper plate and inked under pressure, allowed for exceptional detail on this ivory laid paper, a fine 16th-century support prized for its smooth texture and subtle sheen. At just over 10 cm tall, the plate size made these works accessible and collectible. Part of a tradition personifying the seasons, *Hyems* reflects the era's fascination with emblematic imagery, blending artistry with moral and seasonal symbolism. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, it exemplifies how engravings democratized high art, influencing collectors across Europe during the Renaissance. A delicate window into 16th-century life! (198 words)
About the Artist
Philips Galle · 1537–1612
Philips Galle (1537–1612) was a leading Netherlandish engraver, designer, and print publisher whose career bridged the vibrant artistic scenes of Haarlem and Antwerp. Born in Haarlem, he studied under the humanist engraver Dirck Volkertsz. Coornhert, honing his skills in reproductive printmaking. Early on, Galle produced engravings after the Haarlem master Maarten van Heemskerck, capturing the Man...