Cleveland Museum of Art

Figure of Winter from the Four Seasons

Bristol Porcelain Factory

Date

c. 1775

Medium

hard-paste porcelain

Culture

England, Bristol

Department

Decorative Art and Design

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The modern notion of childhood as a time of innocence and simplicity emerged during the second half of the eighteenth century. This understanding of adolescence led to numerous depictions of children as personifications of the four seasons. Here winter is portrayed as a young boy wearing ice skates, a fur-lined jacket, and a hat adorned with holly branches. In his satchel he carries a goose and rabbit, both of which are commonly hunted in the winter. Allegorical figures most often decorated a table during the dessert course, providing amusing subjects for conversation.

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