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Notes
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The young labourer gestures to something in front of him, and turns to look over his shoulder as if talking to someone outside the picture. He is sitting on a rock but appears to be about to start ploughing.
The simple wood and metal plough he holds would push the soil to either side to make an open shallow furrow. We can see these kind of furrows in the painting representing February, in which streaks of pale paint form parallel lines along the field in the background, ready to be planted with vines or olives supported by wooden stakes.
Title
The Labours of the Months: October
Date
about 1580
Medium
Oil on canvas
Measurements
H 13.6 x W 10.6 cm
Accession number
NG3110.4
Acquisition method
Layard Bequest, 1916
Work type
Painting