The Months: February

Engraving, part of a set of 9 (from a total of 12) allegorical prints illustrating the months of the year, the first of several series created by Delaune representing the months. Each print consists of an ornamental frame with strapwork and figurative motifs that symbolize the activities related with the month, the astrological sign associated with the month in its summit, and a scroll with an inscription in Latin on the bottom. Inside the frame is a scene representing the proper occupations of each month based on the medieval iconography of the labors of the months, the main source of inspiration being the "Compost et Kalendrier des Bergers" (first published in 1491 and later reedited in 1541), reworked with the introduction of humanist themes and a critique of the social order. The inscriptions in the frames are poetic descriptions of the different states of nature and somewhat establish a kind of parallel with the progression of the allegories in the images, but they do not seem to reflect the allegorical sense of illustrations, many of which illustrate the misfortune of the poor and the banality of the rich. Additional inscriptions, hand-written with pen, are on the bottom of each print, below the illustrated plate.



This print represents the month of February, with the sign of Pisces, attribute of the month, represented inside an oval mounted on strapwork at the summit of the frame. The other decorative elements in the frame also reference this water sign: the left lateral panel contains a sort of trophy made up of fish, a lobster, and a trident; the right panel contains a similar motif with several types of fish and another trident. In the bottom panel, the cartouche with the inscription is flanked by two tritons catching fish, one holding a trident and the other a similar elongated tool, with fishing nets hanging behind them. On the upper panel of the frame, to the sides of the cartouche with the symbol of Piscis, a man and a boy are fueling fire on a brazier placed between them, making an allusion to the nurturing effect of fire during the winter months.



The motifs in the frame echo those in the main scene. On the left, a couple and two children sit in front of a chimney, inside a dilapidated interior, a large hole clearly visible on the ceiling, likely making an allusion to the "sinister retirement" mentioned in the inscription as a characteristic activity for the month. This idea is further reinforced by the presence of a pyramid, a funerary symbol, in the center of the illustration. In front of the pyramid, a man carrying firewood approaches the family, representing the link between interior and exterior, on the right part of the picture, where another man cuts the trunk of a tree, surrounded by a winter landscape with bare trees and with buildings in the background.



The composition of this print is closely related to a drawing by Delaune, "The Triumph of Religion," with a Nativity scene on the right, and a prohpet, standing next to an obelisk, in the main scene. When compared with the drawing, the allegorical sense of this print might be understood as the decay of religion: the family on the left side of the picture can be identified with a scene of nativity, and the presence of a barking dog, likely representing vigilance, looking towards a couple of roosters that face each other, likely representing the opposition between parties, reinforce the idea. The lobster on the left vertical panel of the frame might, in this sense, also be interpreted as a symbol for inconstancy.



Beyond the allegorical interpretations of the picture, the iconography in this print clearly borrows from an older tradition, and is included in the representation of February in the "Compost et Kalendrier des Bergers," which consists of a man standing on the left, inclining towards a fireplace, a servant carrying firewood on his back, while, on the right, another man cuts wood. Another set of illustrations of the months, created by Delaune in 1568, presents a similar scene.