Are you, like me, enchanted by Vivaldi’s composition The Four Seasons? This exquisite music embodies the joys of summer, the bliss of spring, the shifting hues of autumn, and the snow and ice of the year’s most challenging season, winter. The fascinating transformations in nature hold an undeniable appeal for artists across all disciplines. Some hundred and fifty years before Vivaldi created his unforgettable music (1723), artists in the Low Countries painted the seasons of the year as a series of four connected artworks. The seasons could be illustrated as a landscape, as a mythological or allegorical figure, as labourers working the land, or as a representation of the natural cycle of life.

From an artistic viewpoint, a collection of four paintings served as perfect wall decoration. A set of related paintings was also ideal to enhance the panels of a buffet or to decorate the lunettes of an aristocratic home. Moreover, the production of four interconnected paintings proved to be financially beneficial for the artist. Pieter Brueghel the Elder (1525/30–1569) was one of the first Flemish artists to embrace the Four Seasons theme. He was followed by Pieter van der Heyden (1530–1572), his son Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564– 1638), Jacob Grimmer, his son Abel Grimmer, Sebastiaen Vrancx, their contemporaries, and followers.

As a dance enthusiast, I anticipated that artists would include dance images to typify the various seasons of the year. However, after browsing through numerous splendid series illustrating the four seasons, I found very few dance figures. In fact, dance, with one exception, only appeared in the images of spring.*

The first work that included distinct dancing figures is Spring (c. 1630) by Pieter Brueghel the Younger. The painting is divided into various sections. In the foreground, some of the villagers are busy sowing flowers and plants, other peasants are tending to their sheep, and yet others are building an arbour. An extended vista paves the way to a meandering river that bypasses stately houses, a church and a Romanesque tower before streaming further toward an elongated forest. While not immediately noticeable, a group of villagers dance, drink, and make music at the local inn. Even though the dancing figures are small, their movements are characteristic of Pieter Bruegel’s iconic dancers. They, similar to all representations of peasant dancers during Bruegel’s era, are cumbersome, fling their legs upward, flex their feet clumsily, and overall dance in a crude fashion.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder drew the original design of Spring (1565). He did not highlight any dance activity. For the record, Bruegel never personally painted Spring; his composition gained popularity through an engraving by Pieter van der Heyden (1570). Bruegel the Elder illustrates villagers lounging near the river’s bend; two individuals play musical instruments. There are various figures moving on the upper tier of the pavilion. It is difficult to decipher their actions, but they appear to move in a circular fashion. The details in the Pieter van der Heyden engraving are more distinct, but whether the individuals are actually dancing remains debatable. Bruegel’s drawing, however, inspired numerous artists. Many of these artworks show the villagers dancing.

The Flemish artist Jacob Grimmer (c. 1526–1590), a contemporary of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, is renowned for his landscapes. In the above roundel, An Allegory of Spring, Grimmer presents the observer with a vast view of a lake, a forest, birds, and a distant city. The grand Renaissance palace and its enclosed garden form the scene for a leisurely gathering of noble couples. They stroll, they embrace, and they dance in an idyllic garden. While most of the nobles promenade through the garden or lounge on the grass, the couples on the right side dance. The ladies are beautifully poised and dance gracefully, and the men, whose legwork defines fastidious precision, are equally elegant. Evidently, these nobles, as was customary during that era, possessed training in etiquette and dancing skills.

In Spring Landscape (May), Lucas van Valckenborch (1535–1597) divides the scene into two distinct sections. Moving down the hillside, we see a detailed vista with an enclosed garden, diverse towers, a maze, and a picturesque panorama. The hilltop scene conveys another story. There, a company of aristocratic ladies and gentlemen enjoys a sumptuous picnic. A little farther on, there is a noble couple performing a slow, dignified dance. They, like all nobles of their era, are familiar with the most fashionable dances. Their cultivated carriage and refined movements are characteristic of court dancing. Dance, like music, was an essential part of court etiquette. In this opulent afternoon gathering, expenses are of no consideration; note that there are four musicians performing on the most splendid woodwind instruments.

Van Valckenborch has a surprise in store. In the vicinity of the tall tree, you can find two incongruous figures entering the scene. The misplaced peasant couple is awestruck. These uninvited guests evoke the iconic Bruegel dancers. It is fascinating to speculate why the artist has chosen to place two peasant figures amidst this distinctly opulent court setting.

The Flemish Baroque artist Sebastiaen Vrancx (1573 – 1647) was a painter, draughtsman, and designer of prints. He was particularly acclaimed for his battle scenes, a genre that he pioneered in Netherlandish painting. Vrancx painted various works depicting the Four Seasons. Typically, summer is depicted as a harvest scene. During autumn, villagers gather apples, collect grapes, and produce wine, whereas winter is consistently associated with snow and ice skating. Spring is the season of growth, rejuvenation, and a celebration of the warmer weather. To enhance the festivities, villagers often erect a maypole, frequently decorated with flowers and coloured ribbons. A communal maypole dance is part of the celebrations.

The engraving Spring, based on a design by Sebastian Vrancx, illustrates not just one but two Maypole dances. In the foreground, an elite couple dances around the maypole. The stately lady remains quite still while her confident partner demonstrates his refined dance technique. There is also a second dancing couple. The gentleman assumes a gracious lunge forward, gazing affectionately at the noblewoman with a feathered fan. The front section of the print is reserved for the elite; noble ladies and gentlemen gather around a classical arch. On the pathway, beside the moat, we come across sheep, strolling villagers, and rural dwellings. As we proceed past the bridge, we encounter the second maypole dance. Even though the figures are minute, you can still discern a large group of villagers dancing. Vrancx’s original artwork (see above) differs slightly from the later print; the theme of villagers and nobles celebrating the arrival of spring remains consistent.

David Teniers the Younger, known for his magnificent renditions of rural genre scenes, also created various series depicting the four seasons. The painting above shows Teniers’ estate and his manor, the Dry Toren. The gracious couple shown wandering casually toward the waterside are the artist and his spouse. Teniers has chosen to highlight the month of May; note the maypole in front of the manor and the diligent gardeners. Furthermore, a peacock, a symbol of rebirth, parades in the Baroque garden.

Teniers’ guests lavish in the May weather; they stroll, they converse, and some enjoy a boat ride. A group of elite figures has gathered near the maypole. There, a musical trio enhances the festivities. Some individuals prefer to listen to the music, while others take the opportunity to dance. Generally speaking, the participants in a maypole dance step, skip, or gallop around the pole; the dancers thus create intricate formations. This affluent company, however, prefers to promenade. They proceed at a leisurely pace. Judging from their demeanour, their movement vocabulary is based on court dancing, where elegance is paramount.

Moving forward to the 18th century, I discovered a charming painting by Jan Josef Horemans the Elder (1662 – 1757), a Flemish painter renowned for his small-scale genre pieces. Similar to David Teniers the Younger, Horemans focused on daily life. He received the nicknames “le brun” and “le sombre” because of his frequent choice of dark and muted colour schemes.

The painting, Spring, is one of a series depicting the four seasons. In the foreground an amorous couple immediately draws your attention. They pose serenely in front of a vast landscape. This section of the painting is relatively bright. To the right, in a slightly gloomier section, we see a tavern-like scene with villagers drinking, making music and dancing around a maypole. These festive figures look familiar; you could almost identify them as typical David Teniers dancers. It is interesting to compare the following two images. The left image is from a painting by Teniers, and the other image is Horeman’s painting. The comparison is self-evident.

It would take until the early 20th century before dance images would, once again, be used to symbolise spring. It was not until Rie Cramer (1887–1977), author and illustrator, created a series of children’s books illustrating the months and the seasons that a dance image reappeared. Her book, ‘Spring’, features a charming cover depicting five young girls twirling around a blossoming tree.

The Four Seasons by the contemporary artist Matthijs Röling (1943–2024) is unique. Each season is rendered by means of a still life showing a ‘cupboard’ containing objects associated with that specific season. The spring cupboard is bright and lively, filled with vases of fresh flowers. In the Netherlands, tulips bloom in the spring and fill the fields with endless flowers. The Dala horse from Sweden, originating during the extended Swedish winters, represents the hope of spring and the onset of light. And most stunningly for dance enthusiasts, there are also two fascinating dance images. Beneath the jar of tulips, the artist has reproduced an illustration of Louis XIV as the Sun King. The French monarch danced the role of the Sun King in his youth. His performance symbolised the rising sun and the ’embrace’ of French culture in the polite society of the refined world. The image next to a typical Dutch tea towel is a Mughal miniature artwork. The two beautiful Indian dancers symbolise joy, fertility, and the rejuvenation of nature.

The theme of the Four Seasons remains as cherished today as it was in earlier times. However, contemporary artists rarely use dance images. It’s all the more remarkable that Matthijs Röling painted a series of still lifes in the manner of the old masters, integrating dance imagery as symbolic representations. Which artist will follow his example?

* _{I found a magnificent dance image in a series of The Four Seasons by Jacob Cats (1741–1799). His version of The Four Seasons presents a vast landscape with figures in the foreground. In Summer, three girls dance happily in a circle, while other farmers rest and enjoy the warm weather. The entire series is available at the Rijksmuseum.}

** _{The still lifes by Matthijs Röling are intriguing. The entire series has been made available by the blogger godsandfoolishgrandeur. My many thanks to you for your great post.}