An intricate seventeenth-century engraving by Aegidius Sadeler II, depicting the agricultural activities and harvest traditions associated with the month of September.

This engraving by Aegidius Sadeler II depicts the month of September as part of a series representing the twelve months of the year. Sadeler, a member of a prominent family of engravers from Antwerp, spent much of his career in Prague under the patronage of Emperor Rudolf II. His work reflects the technical precision and narrative density characteristic of the period.

The composition is organised into distinct zones of activity. In the foreground, figures are engaged in the harvest, with workers loading baskets of fruit onto carts and donkeys. Goats graze near the base of the trees, while a seated figure plays a flute, adding a pastoral element to the scene. The mid-ground features a series of ladders propped against trees, where labourers gather the autumn yield. The background opens into a wide, rolling vista with a distant village and mountains, demonstrating the artist's command of atmospheric perspective through varied line weights and cross-hatching.

Above the scene, the zodiac symbol for Libra is visible, providing a celestial anchor for the temporal subject matter. Latin inscriptions at the base of the print offer a poetic commentary on the abundance of the season, referencing Pomona and Vertumnus, the Roman deities of fruit trees and gardens. The engraving is executed with a high degree of detail, from the texture of the tree bark to the individual folds of the workers' clothing. This print serves as a record of early seventeenth-century agricultural practices, presented through the lens of classical allegory and technical mastery. The balance between the human activity in the foreground and the expansive rural setting creates a sense of order and seasonal transition.