Project Vivaldi The Four Seasons

Caroline Barlow
Colored pencil and white gel pen on illustration board

The fall and winter sections of Vivaldi's concerto spoke to me the most and I wanted to capture the vibrant energy that I felt from the music. When I closed my eyes, the music brought this image into my head. I saw a stampede of horses kicking up autumn leaves and bringing with them winter snow trailing behind to coat the landscape, joyful and spirited.

Hayden Brayton
Watercolor and gouache

My piece explores the personification of Mother Nature, as well as how Vivaldi's poems that accompany his music can be crafted into my design. Vivaldi's music is timeless and is able to draw in audiences still today due to its iconic and compelling narratives; something that inspired me to base my piece off of the Art Nouveau style of painting. The idea that traits from each season may be qualified into objects or colors guided me along the crafting of this piece, and I sought to blend these attributes into one cohesive work where one season is not necessarily separated from the others. Mother Nature herself seeks to make eye contact with the viewer, drawing them in with the same energy and spirit as the music she is based off of.

Brig Cala
Mixed media

My inspiration for this piece comes not only from the music itself but Vivaldi’s poem that he accompanied with it. He describes revelry and the celebration of Bacchus in autumn with the stanza: “The peasant celebrates with song and dance the harvest safely gathered in. The cup of Bacchus flows freely, and many find their relief in deep slumber.” The festivities he refers to here remind me of Bacchanalia, the time where people honor the god of wine and freedom with a frenzy of drunkeness and partying. I like the imagery of Italy in autumn as the colors are a perfect balance of green, red and orange during that season. I looked to Roman Mythology to help me decide what I should depict in my piece, along with research into what occurs in Italy during autumn. The fast paced and springy sound of the violins made me think of fauns and a donkey hurriedly jumping around. It seemed like an all around fun scene to create as they harvest grapes and ready themselves for the coming winter while enjoying autumn's bounty.

Ellen Carlin
Digital

My piece is based off of the "Summer" portion of the music. I took a lot of inspiration from the poem that was written to accompany the music. Specifically, I was drawn to the imagery of thunderstorms destroying the wheat fields in the summer. In order to show this, I personified the thunderstorms and gave her a scythe with to cut the wheat. I chose fire-like colors for the wheat field and background to match the fire that would be created as lightning strikes on a hot day.

Allison Cashins
Acrylic

For this piece, I wanted to portray a figure as an all mighty being who is in complete control of the seasons. As if Vivaldi himself in creating this score controlled the seasons. For the being, I went with a more feminine approach in reference to Mother Earth. Her eyes are empty to make it clear that she is not a human. I then included red hair and dress to incorporate how Vivaldi was nicknamed the ‘red priest’. To push the religious aspect even further, I had the sun put behind her which is a play on halos behind important holy figures in early art. To show that she was in control of the seasons on earth I have her quite literally holding the sky up as if it was a piece of cloth while standing on earth wildly bigger than earth. Below her are all the seasons turning into one another under her sky.

Katie Charpentier
Digital

For my piece, I wanted to represent the feeling of listening to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in the modern age. The way people have access to music has changed dramatically over the centuries, and now classical music is available at the press of a button on our mobile devices. When I was listening to The Four Seasons to prepare for this project, I thought it would be interesting to illustrate not only the content of the music, but the experience of listening to the music itself. No matter where you are, you can be transported to a magical world through an act as simple as putting on a pair of headphones.

Elena Daly
Digital

Whimsical creatures, characters, and environments have always been at the forefront of my imagination. They present themselves in my work, which is unconventional and not restricted by medium. I enjoy both 2D and 3D. Within my creations I strive to breathe realism into unreal realms, to bring reality to places it’s never been before.

Elizabeth Derby
Gouache, collage, graphite

Much like the Four Seasons, this piece is one about memory, the passage of time, and change. As seasons change and snow falls and melts away we keep snapshots of those memories; In both my personal life and artistic practice I tend to hold onto these little moments through pictures, magazine clippings, etc- I used these elements to create the base of this scrapbook-like compositions, aiming to capture the change of the seasons while maintaining a nostalgic and dreamy energy.

Emily Dickopf
Gouache and ink

Winter is a tranquil sight. Soft to look at, but peaceful. When listening to Vivaldi’s track ‘Four Seasons’ I immediately grasped an affinity towards winter. I felt a connection personally and emotionally within myself. However, there was one particular part of the track that I took inspiration by. There was a melody within Vivaldi’s winter piece that depicted a calming and restful time. When listening intently, a scene took place inside my mind. Animals hustling down for winter, frigid temperatures, and silence taking place as many go to sleep. Picturing these themes together make out many possibilities. However, when listening to the tune, the first idea that came to my mind were bears preparing for hibernation. Bears are gentle and caring creatures. You can compare them to winter itself. At first thought we tend to portray them as aggressive. However, at heart, bears are the complete opposite. They are tender and kind creatures. When in hibernation I think of them as serene creatures. Soft caring animals who wish no harm. They let winter take its course, and await the arrival of spring to erupt from slumber. The piece was done on illustration board using ink and gouache. Using a blue wash, and inking techniques, I hoped to portray the essence and emotional aspects of winter. Not every winter is a harsh storm. Some can be soothing, or even relaxing. Especially to the animals who are in need of a great winter rest.

Sarah Duarte
Acrylic

In collaboration with the Handel and Haydn Society and inspired by Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, I attempted to articulate the passage of time that seasons embody through my art. It is a large feat to capture so much time into music, and it seemed there could be no better way to translate this energy than to create an actual working clock. A finch flies through a soft yellow sunrise, its wings becoming the hands. I feel that the seasons signify the perpetuation of life, so the branches surrounding the clock face show blooming flowers and dying leaves respectively.

Sarah Egan
Gouache, colored pencil, digital

For Handel and Haydn, I created an illustration that explores the relationship between winter and spring as exhibited in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Inspired by the work of Norman Rockwell, this piece consists of two characters who each symbolize a separate season. Winter (here represented by an older, peaceful man in the background) is depicted in cool tones, layered clothing, and is accompanied by a dark-blue guitar. Spring (here represented by a youthful, energetic girl in the foreground) is depicted running across the picture plane accompanied by her flute, two birds, a rabbit, and a dog. In contrast to the old man’s color palette and clothing-choice, the young girl is painted in warm, mellow tones and is wearing a sundress.

Despite these differences, I wanted to visualize that these two characters are connected through Vivaldi’s music. I sought to show this through the musical instruments they are holding; the “S” curve connecting the top of the old man’s guitar and the young girl’s flute not only provides the piece with a sense of cohesiveness but illustrates how winter and spring (although opposites in nature), are fundamentally and irreversibly interconnected.

Sierra Escobales
Digital

For my Four Seasons piece, I wanted to incorporate each season respectively. The work I created depicts a young woman, representing the vibrancy and youth of Vivaldi’s work, who appears to simply be indulging in the seasons and lost in her thoughts. For her dress, I compiled imagery and colors that reminded me of spring, summer, fall, and winter, and arranged these components so that they reflected the feelings evoked in me by each movement in the musical work. I also pulled inspiration from the fashion of the early 1700’s, as I found that the clothing of that era reflected the flow of the musical piece.

Carly Faber
Acrylic ink

Although I am not one for music, Vivaldi’s work brought unexpected emotions bursting forth within me. These emotions were inspired by the introduction of poetry marching along to the tune of Vivaldi’s four seasons. This narrative element pulled me in, generating imagery and stories that I couldn’t help myself from reimagining by my own hand. With Vivaldi’s music playing in the background and the words of his poetry dancing across my mind, I created a piece inspired by the Autumn hunt. A brief scene, but one that immediately called to me. The excitement and triumph I felt in tackling this image reminiscent of the hunter’s triumph in conquering the beast.

Katherine Farinola
Graphite

From growing up in New England, I’m long adjusted to feel the full force of each season. The harsh yet sparkling winters, polychrome springs, awe-inspiring autumns, and blazing summers. Each bringing their own respective decoration through growth. The flora and fauna we see out of our windows define where we are in the year. Based on this, I curated an image where plants and creatures from all seasons have sprouted and surrounded all around my rendition of Baby New Year. A young child looking over their shoulder with only the glow from the candle on top of their head to bring light to the year to come and the world beyond.

Gabrielle Garneau
Digital

My piece titled; Adulation for Nature is a depiction of “Mother Nature” cradling a frail tree encased in a golden egg. I took inspiration from Renaissance and Baroque artists including Hieronymous Bosch, as well as Caravaggio. Having an interest in the history of iconography, seeing how Bosch represented Earth in his triptychs inspired me to have a sapling clinging to life as an allegory for how Earth is today, beautiful yet on the brink of death. Mother Nature cradles this golden egg yet her face is made up of flowers from a multitude of seasons, and without a face to relate to; the audience has no human emotions to connect to in the piece creating a jarring effect. I designed this figure to seem holy, she is enshrouded in vibrant cloth and is posed in her relaxed state. Having researched Vivaldi’s music and his connection to the Church, including Christian symbolisms was an interesting avenue for me to explore in this piece. The true theme of Adulation for Nature is the importance in protecting Earth, especially now in its most fragile moment, so that we can continue to witness the cycle of seasons.

Dakota Gillies
Digital

My piece is a digital illustration that shows Vivaldi’s Four Seasons through 4 violins. Each violin represents one of the four seasons, spring being the first represented by cherry blossoms, then summer with vibrant green leaves and yellow flowers, fall having maple leaves and apples, and winter having twigs and holly. I hope that my work will instantaneously make viewers and concert-goers think of Vivaldi’s piece, and maybe remind us that all of the seasons have a beauty about them.

Amanda Godowski
Acrylic on Illustration board

The Lost Swan is an 11x16 acrylic painting on illustration board inspired by the opening violin concerto for “La Primavera” in Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Susanna Ogata, a Violinist and assistant concertmaster for the Handel and Haydn Society, related her experience to playing the violin as painting a whole universe with her bow and strings. I wanted to capture that experience in The Lost Swan, emphasising the highs and the lows of the spring season. Executing the scene through expressive mark making and a deep attention to color. This allowed the painting to move and vibrate off the page similarly to the Allegro in La Primavera.

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was created in 1723, during the Baroque art movement. Soon to follow was the beginning of the Rococo art movement in the mid 1700s. Paintings during the Rococo period were very romantic, depicting whimsical and sensual iconography rendered in ornate detail. The Four Seasons captured a similar feeling in its narrative for “La Primavera”. This is especially seen in Vivaldi’s poem, which was produced to be paired with the song. The Poem Illustrates imagery of dancing nymphs, shepherds, and birds singing in the brooks. The girl in The Lost Swan takes on the role of a nymph communicating and restoring balance in nature. She does this by helping the forest animals bring a lost baby swan back to their mother during a passing storm. I chose a Swan because they are recognised as a symbol for love, music and poetry. Nodding towards the Vivaldi’s use of multimedia in the Four Seasons and the passionate overtones of the Rococo era.

Rococo’s color pallete is well known for its abundance of pastel colors, contrasted with dramatic bold phthalo blue/greens from the Baroque period. One particular famous work that came out of the Rococo period was Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Swing, which influenced the color pallette for The Lost Swan. I utilized the pthalo greens to open up the space, drawing attention towards crisp vibrant pinks made of elegant quinacridone reds. Throughout the middle ground lies washes of yellow to brighten the scene. The color was chosen to spark nostalgic and youthful wonder. Much like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, I intend for the painting the transport the audience and reminisce in the beautiful season of Spring.

Melina Illinger
Digital

What runs through the beast’s mind just before the hunt? Is there fear, or envy of the pack? Vivaldi’s Four Seasons begged for answers, and I felt the need to answer them. This piece blurs between the figures dancing through the midground, and the canid creature lurking in the foreground. Though Autumn begins with a celebration of the harvest and the warmth of company, it ends with the exhilaration of the hunt. Perhaps the “beast” mourns what it perceives it cannot have, relishing in what little warmth it can soak in before the humans' sudden turn from dancing to mobbing.

Marie Jalbert
Watercolor, ink, colored pencil

I created this piece around Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, mostly focusing on spring for this piece in particular. I wanted to combine my love for fantasy like works as well as plant life with the music I listened to for inspiration. This piece consists of small forest creatures like snails while focusing on the fox in the hollowed-out tree that is still full of life, with small lights all around it. For this piece, I used ink, watercolor, and colored pencils. This piece was focused around a fantasy style, something I do very often and take a lot of joy in. I wanted to represent spring by showcasing these animals we would see in the woods during the season. Creating this piece was very therapeutic for me, and helped me create a type of fantasy world and bring together different elements that I enjoy, I wanted the viewer to be able to look at this piece and see different small things hidden within it.

Jared Kellogg
Quill pen, ink, and digital

To me, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons represents protection, warmth, and comfort from the elements as we move through the ebbs and flows of life. As a result, it felt only natural to embody this through an ancient tree form embracing and shielding the youth as they experience the Earth’s elements for the first time, bringing a new glow into an old world. A hope for the future as the seasons weave seamlessly between one another and the mantle is passed on to future generations over time just as this song has been.

Cindy Lam
Digital

Mainly taking inspiration from “Spring” from Vivaldi’s, The Four Seasons, I wanted to emulate the feeling of living the lavish lifestyle of a wealthy person in the 18th century. I also took inspiration from the Art Nouveau movement because the curves and arches that Art Nouveau is known for remind me of the architecture and decoration found in historical mansions. Moreover, no dog other than the Borzoi or Russian Wolf Hound epitomizes elegance so I had to draw it. As for the flowers that I chose, I chose them specifically to symbolize the transition from winter to spring: Red poppies representing death, flower buds meaning new life, and finally red roses symbolizing living life with passion.

Alura Leet
Gouache, watercolor, ink

To tell the truth I have never paid much mind to classical music as it makes me feel melancholy. However, upon listening to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, I fell in love with Winter. All of his seasons change a flow drastically, keeping me engaged. Most people visualize harmony. I feel a struggle or fight. In my artwork, I personify the four seasons as Vivaldi himself. Winter and Autumn engage in a sword duel, and Winter intends to win. It is also inspired by the weather we experience, especially when temperatures struggle for dominance. For instance, it could be Autumn one moment and feel like Winter the next, so on and so forth until Winter dominates. I visualize this duel because of the energetic nature of the piece. Despite Winter and Autumn being the focus, Summer is depicted to the far right already defeated, and Spring to the far left peers around the tree waiting for his moment to strike. The mediums I chose are watercolor (for the background) and gouache (for its saturation). In addition, I wanted the colors to remain relevant to the seasons- reds and oranges for Autumn and blues for Winter. Finally, I was inspired by stained-glass windows, thus I chose to portray the scene in a stain-glass fashion while still making it my own image.

Ivana Levy
Mixed media

I made a mixed media piece composed by four beautiful birds, each one representing one season. Below those birds is the tree of life. The leaves of the tree are divided into four sections, again, represent each season of the year. The reason why I chose to include the birds and the tree is because for me, birds represent music because of their delightful singing, and the tree represents life. Music is life. This piece was made out of collage, I used color pencils, watercolor, and glitter. The size of this piece in 16x11 inches.

Sonisai Long
Watercolor, ink, pen, markers

My vision of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons sparked almost instantaneously when hearing the autumn concerti of the piece. Listening and engaging in it, I was reminded of the accompanying poetry that went along with it speaking of hounds, hunters, and the call of the horn. This led me to create a piece inspired by both works, focusing on the autumn season but also on the thrill of the hunt. This illustration talks about a group of hunters waiting to ambush an unsuspecting forest diety. Distracted by a solo violin player, the hunters eagerly wait for their time to strike. The medium I used to create the piece was watercolor followed by ink pen for the line work. Color wise I chose an autumn pallet, rich yellows, reds, and oranges can be found mixed in throughout the piece. The orange pallet encloses the piece framing it while allowing the vibrant blues of the god to pop out in the middle. Overall, It was a pleasure incorporating music with art, something that I have for the most part not done before. Enthralled while working on this piece, I hope it entertains others through its narrative and colorful content.

Meredith Lynn
Watercolor

For my Handel and Haydn piece, I was greatly inspired by the Autumn movement. My favorite section of the entire piece is from the hunt sequence. It’s beautiful and almost melancholic, not what you may necessarily think of when thinking of hunting. I love the way the music flows and moves. Whenever I listen to classical music, I think of my family. Three out of four of my grandparents were classically trained musicians. I grew up in a very musical home and went to music lessons every week. In addition to music, I associate nature and exploring the woods of New Hampshire with my grandparents. While listening to this section and reading the poem by Vivaldi, I pictured autumn leaves and a bubbling brook and a deer posed peacefully in the quiet forest. This was inspired by both my memories of visiting my grandparents’ lake house when I was little, and by Vivaldi’s incredible music.

Christina Malfas
Acrylic paint

In this piece, I hoped to capture the command with which winter brings its fierce winds and bitter cold. Yet, winter is not a force of malice. After the storm, all is peaceful, still, and quiet, resting until the spring arrives and the cycle begins anew. As such, I thought to portray both aspects of the season by depicting winter as a kind, benevolent goddess, confidently bringing about the winter season with a such commandeering force as the final part of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" articulates.

Sara Micciche
Gouache and colored pencil

When creating a piece inspired by Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, I was mainly taken by the idea of the hunt. Overall, I aimed to represent the opposing side of the fast-paced hunt it’s described as, but in the composed piece, I noticed an underlying softness in Autumn. In my piece, I depict the usually abrasive and predatory hunter and his dogs as vulnerable, as they pause from their hunt and rest. As the days become shorter and colder, winter creeps up. The hunter finds it more and more difficult to find game, and the more tiresome he becomes. As they sleep, the wildlife that they’ve been searching for all day comes out to play. A fox sneaks quietly by them, leaving a trail for them to find when they awake. A rabbit closely watches them sleep, and a squirrel takes its chance to forage for food.

Gilford Murphy
Digital

I was inspired to create my piece based upon the “Winter” part of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. The text “this is winter, which nonetheless brings its own delights” within the poem brought me back to this past winter when I would watch blue jays hop around in the snow. A blue jay is perched upon a tree branch, as the sun rises in the background, alluding to that spring will come again.

Maksymilian Nosevich
Watercolor

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons inspired me to look at seasonal myths and folklore from other cultures, specifically ancient Greece and the myths of Demeter and Persephone. My painting shows Demeter, goddess of the harvest, sitting on a throne of fall harvest vegetables and fruits. As goddess of the harvest, Demeter is responsible for the growth of crops, but her deep depression when her daughter, Persephone, leaves for the underworld, also makes her responsible for the changing seasons.

Serena Nguyen
Oil pastel and acrylic paint

“Blizzard Man” is a piece based on the Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi’s Winter, in The Four Seasons. Made with oil pastel and acrylic paint, Blizzard Man was formed based upon the heavy violin progression at the beginning of the melody. The swift motions of line pastel in the sky represent the rapid transitions in the notes resembling an immediate disaster and vigorous force. Blizzard Man is made up of what one may believe are the elements of winter’s frightening and unpredictable nature. The representation of Blizzard Man was to depict a gradual downfall of an avalanche in parallel with the way the notes in Vivaldi’s musical compositions draw ups and downs, in waves. Soft, yet loud is what the pastel medium becomes with left angled strokes and blended lines in the atmosphere, mountains and trees. The individual in the right corner, alarmed as one can be, is caught panicked at the fearful and enormous entity.

Madeline Ong
Watercolor

A girl runs against the snow and wind while clutching her robe. The trees crowd high over her back as if it were a sentient beast about to swallow her whole. Her chilly breath rises to the sky, using repeated motifs of the f-hole on the violin to emulate how music resonates from the core of the body. Inspired by Allegro non molto of Winter and its accompanying poems, the painting of depicts her running as she puts her hand together to pray, desperate for warmth and safety.

Stephanie Pan
Watercolor

Inspired by the poem and sounds of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, I wanted my piece to capture the intricacies and detail laid out by Vivaldi. With such vibrant imagery in both the poem and the music, I wanted my piece to represent that imagery and capture the moods as the seasons change. My choice of watercolor as a medium and the soft transitions between seasons in my piece serve to represent the subtle shifts in seasons within the music, blending together yet distinct in their own way to show a full, eventful year.

Leah Payne
Gouache and colored pencil

For this illustration, I wanted to lead the viewer through all four seasons of the year by leading their eyes through this entire piece, and therefore an entire year, allowing them to see and appreciate the beauty of all the seasons. Using elements from Vivaldi’s poem such as the thunderstorms and singing birds, I related the illustration even further to the song and poem, adding visuals to Vivaldi’s wonderful music.

Lauren Richelieu
Digital

My artwork, inspired by Antonio Vivaldi’s series of violin concertos, the Four Seasons, depicts the feeling I had when listening to the piece. The Four Seasons are filled with energy and yet they made me feel rather peaceful, and I tried to convey that through the use of soft lighting and the muted, organic colors of nature. My illustration, done in digital media, shows the warm summer sun shining through the trees, while the red of some of the leaves hints at the changing of the seasons. I also decided to include vibrant red poppy flowers to not only represent the summer season, but also as a nod to the intensity of the Four Seasons “Summer” concertos.

Katiana Rodriguez
Digital

Listening to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons brought me back to a very nostalgic time in my life; one filled with joy, happiness, and celebration. My goal for this piece was to evoke these same feelings for the viewer. Dancing has always played a big part in my day to day, and I pushed myself to create a composition where my subjects were doing just that. I wanted to personify each of the seasons and have their outer appearance reflect the symbols, colors, and textures I associate with each one. This piece also allowed me the space to represent different ethnicities and body types, both of which are large focuses of mine within all of my illustrations.

Andrea Roman
Digital

For this piece, I wanted to capture the idea of Vivaldi floating through the seasons, as if he willed the magic straight from his violin.

Emma Rose Roche
Colored pencil, oil pastel

I interpreted Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” through an intimate portrait of the human body. I wanted to turn the body into a map of the seasons. The map features markers of each season and the feelings attached to them. I’m interested in showing physical history on the body and using the body as a way of communicating an emotional state.

Sendem Sergelen
Digital

The smell of wet cement, the last snow, and the first rain of spring make me fall in love with the ever-changing seasons. For this piece, I have illustrated the Winter meeting Spring in the midst of February. This piece was illustrated using digital media.

Bunny Simms
Digital

In this piece, I wanted to express the joy and glee of the four seasons. Each animal representing a different part of a season, all coming together in harmony!

Cherish Springer
Digital

Within the painting ‘il Orologio’, I create a period-specific atmosphere that highlights the clothing and artistic fashions of when Viviladi’s Four Season was published (18th century Italy). This painting is originally 36” x 48”, painted with acrylics on raw, unstretched canvas. I chose to work with acrylics because of its ability to layer and dry quickly. This creates a build-up of paint in texture and depth that resembles an overall theme of time and space. This theme is consistent throughout much of my period related work. The choice to work so large, as well as use a similar color pallet to that of the era, was to create a conversation with the scale and atmosphere that resembles in the paintings from the 18th century.

The figures and floor plane of ‘il Orologico’ are placed to create a circular composition. First, this resembles popular compositions of the 18th century. Oftentimes these older works involved groups of people within 3D spaces in which the viewer is at eye level. These paintings include a lot of dynamism through the figures' poses and interactions; this reflects the intimate interactions of the characters in my painting, especially with the two children. The circular composition also creates a clockwise motion in space. Starting from the youngest couple, time passes as the viewer moves around in space. This clock, or ‘orologio’ in Italian, further emphasizes the relationships of aging, the passing of time, and how our current time responds to the period of the painting.

Emma Sudak
Digital

“Dancing with a Goldfinch” captures the brilliant sound of Four Seasons with an image of a dancing ballerina on the end of a violin. While listening to the famous Vivaldi soundtrack, my mind wandered to many different places. One of the most prominent locations was dancing on stage with a large bird. The connection between Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and the listeners is represented through the graceful giant and a dancer which we can recognize within each of us.

Jen Treadway

The Four Seasons are transformed into an orchestral dance of birds. These bird characters each embody a respective season as those mentioned in the original poetry: the Cuckoo bird, Finches, and Dove. Instruments assigned to each bird were decided upon by their overall tone and personality, aligning with the seasons’ behavior. The characters are composed in a circular group to further the narrative cycle of the seasons. As they transition and create music together, the environment reflects their unique features. Each season is described in solitude, but it was the aim of this illustration to also exemplify their harmony.

Eleanor Valle
Digital

The song "The Four Seasons" by Vivaldi is represented by the mouse; an animal which is around throughout all months of the year. The mouse musician can be interpreted in many ways. Her performing can be the cause of the seasons or she can be celebrating with song and dance to ring in the seasons. Either way, this illustration depict the joy and possibilities that each season brings. Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" is shown through the spring flowers, the summer sunshine, the fall leaves, and winter snowflakes. The airy watercolor effect represents the smooth and ongoing transition from season to season. The pencil and washes pays respect to classic old time illustrations of the time of Beatrix Potter or Arnold Lober. Both illustrators who drew common, yet adorable, animals in their narratives. An adorable mouse is a perfect fit for the consistent beauty of the seasons.

Yuan-Yuan Wang
Digital

As to how the universe holds up together, there is always an idea of yin and yang, like the need of both predator and prey, chaos and calm, chasing each other endlessly.

Through the four seasons, different seasons chase and compete with each other and form a perfect harmony. My piece is based on Vivaldi’s Four Seasons; Fall, which describes the hunting and feasting season. The duality of hunting and feasting shows in those two animals, the hunting dog, and the wild fox. I imagine the wild fox actually accepted the challenge and led the hunting dog through the seasons, and may this struggle never end.

By flattening the surrounding plant life to emphasize the idea of the seasons moving seamlessly and smoothly. The intention of this specific color palette is to push the idea of yin and yang even further. The white hunting dog contrast with the warm orange fox, not just to illustrate the tension in between, but also harmony within this balance.

Karen West
Digital

During my first listen, I was startled by the sudden transition of festive, joyous autumn to the aggressive and overwhelming winter. Taken aback by the brutality of the last concerto, I was struck with the image of a mother Winter, one who is stern yet tender during brief moments, similar to the harsh and beautiful season of Winter. It was then I imagined there being Autumn, a child who Winter is pulling in to protect and provide warmth for. However, whilst doing so, Mother Winter pulls the frost and chilly season along with her cloak, effectively causing the start of the dreaded cold season. Saddened by the change, Autumn stares out one last time to the world before she retreats to the warmth under the cloak with Mother.