inscribed ‘Winter/ G. Valck’ (in the plate)
engraving, illegible fragmentary watermark
27 x 21.2 cm
Not recorded by Hollstein and Wurzbach [1]
A strong impression, trimmed on, or just inside or outside the platemark, there is a tiny hole in the lower left corner, there are strips of tape along the upper edge of the verso, otherwise in good condition

Provenance:
Justinus Kerner (L. 1567b).
Unknown collector’s mark.

This charming engraving represents an allegory of winter, in the guise of an elegant lady with her pug, in front of a fireplace. As the inscription on the print states, the engraving has been published by the great publisher Gerard Valck (1652-1726), but whether he was also the engraver remains unclear. What is certain, however, is that the design of the print has its origin in several series by French and Flemish artists of allegorical representations of the seasons. These series - and their dissemination as well as their adaption by Dutch artists - have been studied in depth by Christine Moisan-Jablonski in her article ‘De Paris à Strasbourg. Les métamorphoses d’un cycle d’estampes du xviie siècle’ in L'estampe française au XVIIe siècle.

[1] See C. Moisan-Jablonski, ‘De Paris à Strasbourg. Les métamorphoses d’un cycle d’estampes du xviie siècle’, L'estampe française au XVIIe siècle, 252 (2015), note 21.