December (Capricorn)

Francesco Bassano the Younger's December (Capricorn), painted in 1601 for the Prado series, captures the midwinter month through its characteristic labours: the slaughter of pigs, the preparation of preserved meats, the gathering around fires for warmth, and the festive abundance associated with Christmas preparations. December's zodiacal sign Capricorn is incorporated alongside these genre details in the formula established for the months series. The pig slaughter (matanza) was the defining agricultural event of the rural December — the transformation of the year's fattened animals into the cured meats that would sustain the household through winter — and the Bassano workshop depicted it with the uninhibited materialism that characterised their approach to seasonal labour. The contrast between December's cold, dark atmosphere and the warmth of communal hearths and festive preparation gives the composition its emotional character.

December's cold atmosphere is established through a cooler, greyer palette than the warm harvest months, with the dark tones of winter nights offset by the warm glow of fireside scenes. The pig slaughter activities in the foreground are depicted with the Bassano workshop's characteristic directness — neither sentimentalised nor deliberately brutal, but matter-of-factly observed.