Artwork
Two Infants, Personifications of Spring and Autumn
Two Infants, Personifications of Spring and Autumn is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Unknown. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work depicts two plump infants engaged in play.
About this work
Overview
The work depicts two plump infants engaged in play. The figure on the left wears a crown of blossoms, while the companion on the right grasps stalks of wheat in one hand and a round fruit in the other. Their interaction creates a gentle, domestic scene rendered in a modest palette.
Subject & Meaning
The botanical and grain elements function symbolically: the floral wreath alludes to the renewal of spring, whereas the wheat and fruit suggest the harvest of autumn. Together the children personify the seasonal cycle, turning a simple genre scene into a visual allegory.
Technique & Style
Executed in a smooth, muted manner, the painting employs careful modeling to give the infants a rounded, tactile quality. The details of the wreath and wheat are rendered with fine brushwork, emphasizing texture while maintaining a overall harmonious composition.
History & Provenance
The artist’s identity remains unknown, as the canvas bears no signature. The work’s provenance is therefore traced through institutional collections rather than a documented creator, and it now resides within the holdings of a major Dutch museum.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
Christian Allegory with two Children with a Bible and Snake
Kolme linnunpesällä leikkivää amoriinia
Christian Allegory with two Children both Pouring from a Carafe into a Bowl
Christian Allegory with two Children Hugging each other
Cupids in Conspiracy
The Cherub Harvesters
Vanitas
Venus and Cupid
Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine
Christ and John the Baptist as children and two angels
El Niño Jesús y San Juan
Drie kinderen spelend met een vogelnestje