Goltzius Saenredam Evening

This engraving depicts a lively evening banquet where figures are engaged in drinking, music, and romance. In the foreground, a servant pours wine while a couple shares a kiss, and in the upper right corner, a celestial scene shows the personified Moon watching over a darkening landscape. The contrast between the flickering candlelight of the interior and the moonlit sky outside emphasizes the transition from the labor of the day to the pleasures of the night.

As part of the 'Four Times of Day' series, this work reflects the Renaissance preoccupation with the correspondence between celestial cycles and human behavior. It illustrates the 'Planetary Hours' concept, where the transition of light and the movement of the Moon (Luna) or the Evening Star (Hesperus) govern the shifting temperaments and social activities of humanity.