PB 414

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 123; Larghezza: 192

olio su tela

PR 283

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 123; Larghezza: 191

olio su tela

The painting is part of a series of twelve canvases depicting the seasons of the year and related human activities, created by Jan Wildens during his stay in Italy between 1613 and 1616. The entire cycle was first documented at Palazzo Rosso at the end of the 18th century, when it was attributed to Gottfried Waals, before being separated during the following century among the various Brignole-Sale residences. This division meant that the series arrived at the current Strada Nuova Museums incomplete (the months of March and October are missing, having remained in the family villa in Albaro, December is now in a private collection, and February is lost) and in two distinct groups, so that initially they were not recognised as part of a single series. W. Adler was the first to reconsider them in this sense, excluding, however, the “Noble Entertainment in the Countryside” (May). The painting, signed in the lower left corner, represents the month of August, characterised by tall ears of wheat ready to be harvested and the summer heat, almost palpable in this work, which prompts the farmers to take a break in the shade of the trees. The wheat field is at harvest time; the landscape is dotted with trees and sheaves. Some farmers are working while others are resting.