Artwork
The Twelve Months: June
The Twelve Months: June is a print by the Baroque artist Jan van de Velde. It dates from 1613 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Jan van de Velde II, a Dutch printmaker active in the early seventeenth century, produced the engraving titled *The Twelve Months: June* in 1613. The image forms part of a larger calendar series that illustrates typical activities associated with each month, and it is presently held by the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a tranquil village in early summer. Central to the scene is a tall church flanked by trees, while a winding lane leads the eye past three laborers—one kneeling beside a wheelbarrow, another adjusting a cart, and a third holding a shovel. A grazing cow appears in the background, underscoring the agrarian rhythm of June.
Technique & Style
Executed as an intaglio print, the work relies on fine line work and cross‑hatching to render texture and depth. Van de Velde’s handling of light creates a softly clouded sky, and the careful modulation of tone distinguishes figures from the surrounding landscape, reflecting the meticulous detail typical of Dutch Golden Age printmaking.
History & Provenance
Born into a family of artists—son of Jan van de Velde the Elder and father of still‑life painter Jan Jansz van de Velde—Jan van de Velde II produced this piece amid a prolific period of print production. The engraving entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection through acquisition in the twentieth century, where it remains on display.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan van de Velde the younger (1593 – c. 1 November 1641) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker, mostly of animal, landscape and still-life subjects. He was the son of Jan van de Velde the Elder and the father of…
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