Spring

Spring work in a Flemish garden

In a large walled garden beside a farmhouse, men and women dig, rake and plant neat geometric beds. Small trees in pots wait to be set out. Abel Grimmer painted Spring in 1607 as part of a series of the four seasons. His composition follows a design by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, known from a print.

The panel belongs to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA).

Digging and planting

In the foreground, a man bends to turn the soil with a spade while a woman beside him sets young plants into a bed. The gardeners work in pairs and small groups, each busy with a different task.

Around the farmhouse

By the farmhouse, a well-dressed lady and her companions seem to inspect the work, while women kneel to plant.

Higher up, a man on a ladder trims the arbour, and another works at the far end of the garden.

Signs of spring beyond the wall

Beyond the garden, a castle and a church rise across the water. Near the riverbank, small figures rest on the grass, and a flock of sheep is driven along in the meadow.

Abel Grimmer and his father

Abel Grimmer (about 1570 to about 1619) was the son of Jacob Grimmer, a landscape painter in Antwerp. Both specialised in landscapes, seasons and village scenes. Abel was known for his precise, colourful style and his series of the months and seasons, which were popular decorations for Antwerp homes.

The legacy of Bruegel

Pieter Bruegel the Elder painted a famous series of the seasons in 1565, including The Hunters in the Snow. He also designed drawings of the seasons that were engraved and widely sold. After his death, many Antwerp painters, including his sons and Abel Grimmer, copied and adapted his compositions. Grimmer’s Spring follows one of these engraved designs.

The Bruegel tradition celebrated the cycle of the year and the work of ordinary people.

A Renaissance garden

The geometric beds, with their curved and straight edges, show the fashion for formal gardens in the Low Countries around 1600. Potted plants, including small trees, were set out in spring after spending the winter indoors. The garden belongs to a wealthy house, and the workers are preparing it for the season.

The cycle of the seasons

Series of the seasons or months were popular because they reflected the rhythm of rural life and the order of creation. Each season had its typical activities: planting in spring, harvest in summer, slaughter and wine-making in autumn, hunting and feasting in winter. Spring shows renewal and hope after the winter.

Where to see it

Spring belongs to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA). Our hand-painted oil reproduction follows this composition. You can also read about Bruegel’s Hunters in the Snow, or explore our famous landscape paintings.

Questions about Spring

Who painted it?

Abel Grimmer (about 1570 to about 1619), a painter from Antwerp.

Where is it?

Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA).

Is it based on another work?

Yes. It follows a design by Pieter Bruegel the Elder for the season of spring.

Is it part of a series?

Yes, a series of the four seasons.

Who was Abel Grimmer’s father?

Jacob Grimmer, also a landscape painter in Antwerp.

Why are potted trees in the garden?

They were set out in spring after spending the winter indoors.

Sources and image credit

• Wikimedia Commons: Abel Grimmer, Lente, KMSKA

Public-domain reproduction of Spring (1607), via Wikimedia Commons. Detail images are crops of the same image; no reconstruction or upscaling.