The Months: August

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 August, with the symbol of Virgo, attribute of the month, inside a strapwork cartouche on the summit of the frame, flanked to the sides by two peasants drinking among sheaves of wheat, and a rake at the men's feet, marking the corner of the frame. The lateral panels of the frame have similar motifs, with trophies made up of gourds, flails, sheaves of wheat, and pairs of reaping hooks from which hang bundles of flowers, leaves and a variety of fruits, including pears and blackberries. On the bottom panel, flanking the sides of the cartouche with the inscription, are two pairs of winged cupids. The picture inside the frame is a repetition of the same theme: the main scene consists of a plantation, with two men reaking the wheat, another man making the sheaves, and a woman and a man carrying them towards a barn, seen on the upper right corner of the frame. In the background, a man looks after a group of pigs, in front of a landscape with fields and a village. This representation of the month of June is consistent with the Medieval tradition of representations of the labors of the months, including the "Compost et Kalendrier des Bergers."




The inscriprion makes an allusion to the richness found in laboring the land and enjoying the fruits of nature. Like many of the prints by Delaune, it might suggest a critique to the accumulation of wealth and the ills of an aristocracy that prefers lust over working, while highlighting the value of virtuous work, such as laboring the fields and harvesting the products of nature.