Autumn at the Vintage by Lucas van Valckenborch

What does autumn look like? Golden leaves, shorter days and cooler air may come to mind. But for Lucas van Valckenborch, autumn was also a time of work, celebration and harvest. His painting Autumn: Archduke Matthias of Austria at the Vintage invites us to step into a sixteenth-century autumn landscape and discover how a season can bring together nature, agriculture and courtly life. Painted in 1597, it shows Archduke Matthias of Austria and members of his court at the grape harvest, surrounded by an expansive landscape. Rather than focusing on a single moment, Valckenborch gives us an entire autumn world to explore.

Autumn as a Landscape

At first glance, the landscape seems to be the star of the painting. Rolling hills stretch towards the distant horizon, while vineyards, fields, trees and buildings fill the middle and foreground. The landscape becomes smaller and quieter as it moves into the distance.

Yet look more closely and the painting comes alive with people. Workers gather grapes, carry baskets and take part in the harvest. Horses, carts and other details remind us that producing wine was a demanding process involving many people. Autumn here is not simply a beautiful season. It is a season of work.

This is one of the things that makes Valckenborch’s seasonal paintings so fascinating. He shows us that the changing seasons affected almost every aspect of everyday life.

The Archduke at the Harvest

Among the people gathering the grapes is Archduke Matthias of Austria, accompanied by members of his court. His presence changes the meaning of the scene.

The grape harvest was an agricultural activity, but it could also become a social occasion. By placing the Archduke within this vast landscape, Valckenborch connects the world of the court with the countryside and the cycle of nature. The contrast is particularly interesting. The Archduke and his companions represent power, wealth and privilege. Around them, however, ordinary workers are busy with the physical labour of the harvest.

A Painting to Explore

Valckenborch belonged to the tradition of Northern European landscape painting and was strongly influenced by the work of artists such as Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Like Bruegel, he was interested in showing people within a larger landscape rather than presenting nature as an empty backdrop. This makes Autumn: Archduke Matthias of Austria at the Vintage almost like a visual map.

Our eyes can travel through the painting from the busy foreground towards the distant hills. We can look for people working in the vineyards, follow roads into the landscape and notice houses, trees and fields along the way. The longer we look, the more we discover.

Why Autumn?

The painting is particularly appropriate for September 22, the first day of autumn, when we naturally begin to notice the changing season around us. For Valckenborch, however, autumn was much more than a change in weather. It was part of an ancient cycle of planting, growing and harvesting. Grapes had to be collected at the right moment. The harvest had to be organised. The fruit would eventually become wine. The painting therefore reminds us that our modern experience of autumn is very different from that of people who depended directly on the land for their food and livelihoods. And yet something remains familiar. Autumn is still a season of change.

Classroom Activity: Bring Autumn to life in your classroom with this hands-on student activity inspired by Lucas van Valckenborch’s painting of Autumn. Explore the Student Activity →

Continue Exploring on Teacher Curator: Expand your understanding of the theme of the Four Seasons in Art with related articles: The Four Seasons Allegory in Meissen Porcelain and the Triumph of Neptune and the Four Seasons.

Sources and further Reading: To explore more of Lucas van Valckenborch’s painting titled Autumn: Archduke Matthias of Austria at the Vintage, visit the official Sotheby’s site https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2025/old-master-19th-century-paintings-evening-auction-l25036/autumn-archduke-matthias-of-austria-with-members. For additional information about the artist’s life, artistic style, and contribution to Northern Renaissance Art, see the artist profile provided by the Netherlands Institute of Art History. The Institute’s official site includes historical context, biographical details, and references to his major works. https://research.rkd.nl/en/detail/https%3A%2F%2Fdata.rkd.nl%2Fartists%2F78985