Evening

A group of elegantly dressed figures gathers around a table for an evening meal, where a servant pours wine and a couple shares an intimate embrace. A musician plays a lute in the background, adding to the atmosphere of post-work relaxation and conviviality. In a small inset panel at the top right, the personification of the evening star, Hesperus, reclines in the clouds above a moonlit landscape.

This print is part of a series on the Times of Day, illustrating the relationship between the celestial macrocosm and human microcosm. It reflects the Renaissance idea that the movement of the stars and planets—specifically Hesperus, associated with Venus—governs human temperaments and provides a necessary relief from the labor and 'cares' of the day through music, wine, and love.