Artwork
The months july and august
The months july and august is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Jan van den Hoecke. It dates from 1651 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1651, *The Months July and August* is an oil painting by the Flemish artist Jan van den Hoecke. Executed in the Baroque idiom, the work presents a lively tableau that combines allegorical figures with domestic detail. It is part of the permanent collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
Subject & Meaning
Cherubic attendants and additional characters populate the background, suggesting a celebration of the summer months and the agricultural abundance they bring.
The composition centers on two female figures, one dressed in red and the other in blue, each associated with a horse—white and brown respectively. The red‑clad woman holds a rope attached to the white horse, while the blue figure stands beside the brown one. Cherubic attendants and additional characters populate the background, suggesting a celebration of the summer months and the agricultural abundance they bring.
Technique & Style
Van den Hoecke employs a rich palette of reds, blues, browns and gilded tones to model form and convey depth. The brushwork balances fine detail in the figures’ garments with broader, more fluid strokes that suggest movement. Light falls across the scene, highlighting textures of fabric and flesh, while the overall dynamism reflects the Flemish Baroque emphasis on drama and motion.
History & Provenance
Trained in Peter Paul Rubens’ workshop during the 1630s, van den Hoecke later worked in Rome, Vienna and Brussels, serving as a court painter. *The Months July and August* entered the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s holdings as part of the imperial collection, where it remains displayed among other Baroque masterpieces.
Context
The painting belongs to a broader tradition of allegorical month cycles popular in 17th‑century Europe, where each month was personified by figures engaged in seasonal activities. Van den Hoecke’s treatment reflects both his Flemish heritage and the influence of Italian Baroque, merging narrative allegory with a courtly aesthetic suited to his aristocratic patrons.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan van den Hoecke (baptised on 4 August 1611 – 1651) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and designer of wall tapestries.
