Winter (Hyems): The Four Seasons

An old man wearing a thick, fur-lined cloak and hood huddles over a small pot of glowing embers to stay warm. In the background, a cold landscape features a frozen river with skaters and a distant city under heavy clouds. Three circular emblems in the sky display the zodiac symbols associated with the winter months.

The work illustrates the Renaissance concept of macrocosm-microcosm correspondence, linking the cycle of the seasons to the ages of man and the movement of the celestial bodies. It emphasizes the natural philosophy of the four humors, where winter corresponds to the cold and phlegmatic temperament associated with old age.