This woodcut, by the Swiss artist Conrad Gessner, dates to the mid-sixteenth century. It depicts a Greek farmer of ancient times. Agricultural improvements had developed since the time of classical Greece, but not markedly, when this woodcut was made.
Of note here is the rebirth of classical culture which occurred during the Renaissance. Note that not only is the subject matter Greek, but the farming tools are labeled in Greek. Greek, along with Latin, was widely taught in Western schools from the Renaissance to the early twentieth century. Click here to enlarge. |
