Labours of the Months

The Labours of the Months are frequently found as part of large sculptural schemes on churches, and in illuminated manuscripts, especially in the calendars of late medieval Books of Hours.

The most famous cycle is that painted in the early 15th century by the Limbourg brothers in Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry.

In the early 16th century, long after the genre was established, the miniaturist Simon Bening produced cycles which link the Limbourgs with the landscape paintings of Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

A typical simple scheme was:[1] However, there could be many other variations than the above, especially in major wine-growing areas, where more wine related scenes were included.

Italian cycles often advance the agricultural scenes a month earlier than the ones from the Low Countries or England.

August from the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry , 1412-16, by the Limbourg brothers ; the court hunt with falcons and behind harvesting. The Duc's castle at Étampes is at the rear. 22,5 x 13,6 cm
Untypically, this illustration to Pietro de' Crescenzi 's farming manual shows all 12 labours, French, late 15th century.
The Month of September from the Fontana Maggiore in Perugia (c. 1275), by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano , shows the treading of grapes.
Set of single figure images, German c. 1400
Chartres Cathedral, the months of December, January and February