Allegory of the Four Seasons - Winter

Jacob de Wit, a leading representative of Dutch ceiling painting was responsible for a seasonal cycle commissioned by Landgrave Wilhelm VIII for the great galleried hall at Schloss Wilhelmsh�he. This cycle is characteristic of De Wit’s works in grisaille, generally allegorical representations of putti, which were popular and internationally sought-after decorations. With their graduated greys, these works - sometimes called ‘witjes’, in a pun on the name Wit, meaning white - imitate stone bas-relief. The theoretical architectural function of the works is clearly expressed in their organisation as niches with a stele in each.

The divinity appropriate to each of the seasons is represented by a bust on a plinth, while a small crowd of putti make merry play with the god’s attributes. Winter is represented by Boreas, the North Wind.

Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 15 minutes):

Joseph Haydn: The Seasons, Part 4 Winter, excerpts