Hans Sebald Beham, The Year's End Engraving, 1546




The Year's End (WFU 35) is the final print in Beham's series known as the Peasant Festival, or the Twelve Months. This series has much in common with the peasant series of Pieter Brueghel, in that they are representations of the months of the year as well as German peasant life. This print ends the year with personifications of the sun and moon, who play music for the exiting German peasant couple. This print points to the fact that the whole process of a new year is about to begin again.