Lente. NL-HlmNHA 1477 53008548

A young couple stands beneath a lush tree, symbolizing the youth and fertility of the season; the boy holds a nest of hatchlings while the girl carries a basket of fresh flowers. In the background, a lamb and a goat graze near a stream under a sky featuring a rainbow, the figure of Cupid with his bow, and Zephyrus blowing from the clouds. The detailed engraving captures the textures of the ruffs, fabrics, and natural elements characteristic of the Haarlem Mannerist style.

As the first plate in a series on the Four Seasons, this work reflects the Renaissance interest in natural philosophy and the cyclical nature of the cosmos. It illustrates the 'microcosm-macrocosm' relationship, where human stages of life—represented here by childhood and adolescence—correspond to the shifting seasons of the earth.