Seasons Gallery

Catalan Atlas, 14th century

Catalan Atlas, 14th century. The 6-page Catalan Atlas (1375) was produced on vellum by the Jewish cartographer Abraham Cresques. It was commissioned by the rulers of the Kingdom of Aragon (north-eastern Spain). Two pages are on cosmography, and four on geography. This page shows the five known planets (plus the Moon and Sun) orbiting the Earth, the zodiac, moon phases, calendars, and the four seasons. The text is in Catalan. This version is a facsimile (exact reproduction) produced in 1959 by the Spanish scholars Joan Vernet and David Romano. The facsimile pages have been illuminated by hand in colour and gold leaf.

© LIBRARY OF CONGRESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

The Farming Year by Pauline Baynes

The Farming Year, painted in the style of a medieval stained glass window by Pauline Baynes, showing the agricultural activities of a farmer of the Middle Ages month by month. In the centre a man with three faces feasts on the fruits of a year's toil at a festive table.

© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10435207

Activities, Agricultural, Agriculture, Baynes, Boar, Farmer, Farming, Festive, Glass, Harvest, Historical, History, Holly, Medieval, Middle, Month, Months, Pauline, Scythe, Seasonal, Seasons, Sickle, Sow, Sowing, Stained, Window, Windows, Year

Mistletoe sprigs

Mistletoe. Leaves and berries on sprigs of the European mistletoe (Viscum album). Mistletoe is a parasitic, evergreen shrub that can grow on a variety of trees, but is usually found on apple trees. The translucent white berries appear from September to January and contain a sticky pulp, which surrounds the seeds.

© LAWRENCE LAWRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY