Putto at left reclining on sheaves of wheat, another at right carrying a sheave over his shoulder, an allegory of the seasons (Summer), an oval composition

Art Historical Context

This charming etching captures the essence of summer through an allegorical scene featuring two putti, orubic figures. One recl contentedly on she of wheat while the other a bundle over his, evoking the season abundance and harvest.ed in an elegant oval format, the composition the Baroque period’s fondness for graceful, symbolic imagery drawn from classical mythology and the natural world. Created around 1650–80 and associated with Pietro Testa or his circle, the work exemplifies the 17th-century revival of etching as a versatile printmaking medium. Testa, an Italian artist known for his expressive line work and mythological subjects, helped popularize such intimate allegories that could be widely circulated among collectors. The small scale of the plate suggests it may have been intended for inclusion in a series representing the four seasons. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this piece offers visitors a glimpse into how Baroque artists blended everyday agricultural motifs with timeless symbolism to celebrate nature’s cycles.