Jan and Adriaen Collaert
The Twelve Months
- after 1586

Jan Collaert II             Adrian Collaert               Jodocus de Momper                    Phillips Galle                Theodor Galle


Profane Allegories

THE TWELVE MONTHS


This set is sold

January: on the right, man elegantly dressed stead at a table, in front of the fireplace, and looking to left; on the left a landscape inhabited by several figures, with, in the foreground, man playing guitar; in the middle ground, two men on a stage addressing the crowd gathered at the bottom; in the background, men attacking a bull which is trampling a man underfoot on a street running through a city and leading to a fortified city; the symbol of Aquarius appears in the sky.

February: on the left man seated on a chair and warming up before the fireplace; on the right, a square in a town, with, in the foreground, procession of figures led by a musician playing guitar and approaching a couple standing at right; in the middle ground, a square, with figures ice-skating at right; in the background, several buildings, including church at left; symbol of Pisces appearing in the sky

March: landscape with, in the foreground, at right, a peasant man holding a sickle and walking down a slope, at the bottom of which several figures are working in a vineyard; in the middle of the composition, a formal garden, and in the background, a house with an aisle forming an angle at left; symbol of Aries appearing in the sky.

April: view of a formal garden, with several figures walking around, and river at right; in the foreground, at left, a gardener standing with flower pot in the hands; symbol of Taurus appearing in the sky.

May: landscape with, in the foreground, at right, a man with hawk perched on his left hand standing on rising ground; at the bottom, party oh huntsmen on horseback, and elegantly dressed figures; in the middle ground, a formal garden with portico on the left symbol of Gemini appearing in the sky.

June: landscape with, in the foreground, at right, peasant man carrying a scythe; in the middle ground, several figures engaged in various farming activities, with figures shearing sheep and men washing the wool in a river at left, and men with scythe working in a field at right; symbol of Cancer appearing in the sky.

July: landscape with harvest scene and, in the foreground, at right, a farmer walking to right and holding a sickle; symbol of Leo appearing in the sky.

August: landscape with harvest scene, and river to left; in the foreground, on the right a man holding a whip walking to the right; symbol of Virgo appearing in the sky.

September: in the foreground, at left, standing man crowned with vine leaves and grapes and holding a sickle; in the middle ground, people harvesting grape, with man on a ladder picking grapes off a grape arbour standing next to a large stone building; on the right man making a barrel while two other figures stand in a large vat and trample grapes; in the middle, a bull-drawn cart carrying a vat, and a man filling a barrel with vine; vineyards at left; symbol of Libra appearing in the sky.

October: on the right a peasant man sowing seeds occupies the foreground of a landscape, with ploughing and sowing scene in the middle ground; ocean in the distance; symbol of Scorpio appearing in the sky.

November: landscape with, in the foreground at left, a peasant man standing next to a tree and holding a stick; in the middle ground, peasants feeding pigs with acorns fallen from the trees at left, and men piling up wooden planks at left; symbol of Sagittarius appearing in the sky.

December: view of a town, with man carrying bunch of wheat ears, knife and axe standing in the foreground, at right; in the middle ground, the slaughtering of the pigs set beside a town, with man slitting the animal's throat at left, and men curing the pigs in front of a building at right; symbol of Capricorn appearing in the sky.

     

Inventor:
Joos de Momper ( Flemish; 1564 - 1635)
Landscape painter, active in Antwerp. Travelled to Switzerland and Italy, entering the Anterp guild on his return in 1581. Often collaborated with other artists.

Engraver:
Adriaen Collaert (Flemish; c.1560 - 1618)
Engraver and major publisher in Antwerp. Son of Hans Collaert I. Married daughter of Philips Galle in 1586. Played various roles in the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp (treasurer, assistant dean and, later, dean).
Jan Collaert II ( Flemish; c.1561 - c.1620)
Engraver, not publisher, active in Antwerp; younger son of Hans Collaert I. From the 1580 engraved prints for Phillip's Galle print publishing house, together with his brother.

Date:
Between 1586 and 1609
Dedicated by Philips Galle to Charles de Ligne, Prince d'Arenberg who received the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1586 (date post quem for the series). Each print with two Latin distich by Cornelis Kiliaan. 
Jacques Callot made copies of this engravings in 1609-1610 (Lieure 2-14) so this series must date from before 1609.

Publisher:
Philips Galle ( Flemish; 1537 - 1612)
Leading engraver and print dealer based in Antwerp; born in 1537 in Haarlem, it's possible that he was a pupil of Dirk Volkertsz. Coornhert, moved to Antwerp where he worked in the workshop of Hieronymus Cock. After 1557 he started his own publishing and print business, for which he travelled extensively: in 1560-61 he visited the southern Netherland, France, Germany and Italy. After 1564 he settled in Antwerp, where he acquired citizenship in 1571. One of the most prolific publishers in Europe in the second half of the sixteenth century after Cock died in 1570. He was also executor of Cock's estate after his widow, Volckxen Diercx, died in 1600.

Reference:
A set of twelve representing the months engraved by Hans Collaert (January, March, June, July) & Adrian Collaert, after compositions designed by Jodocus de Momper (see Hollstein vol. IV, Adrian Collaert No.559-570 and Hans Collaert No.125-128). New Hollstein: Collaert Dynasty No.1350-1362. Fist state of two, before the address of Philips was altered to that of Joan Galle and before the added names of the signs of the zodiac.
Three editions are known (Philips, Theodor and Joannes Galle) My believe is the series shown here are from the second edition (still with Philips address but published by Theodor between 1612 and 1633)

Technical:
Complete with text line. Good condition. Very good impression. Measures some 21 by 26 cm on plate border.
 Full plate border and good margins. Watermark: Interlaced C's. Museum quality.

   

The complete set of this prints is very rare.
The British museum only keeps one of twelve prints and in poor condition.
The prints still have full margins with occasional thumbing


You can access larger images by clicking on the thumbnails.
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