After creating the four elements with natural pigments, I thought it was time to do the same with the four seasons.
Since we are in winter (at least on this side of the world), this is the first season to be created!
 
I chose to visualize it through the old folk tale of Vrouw Holle (also known as Frau Holle or Hulda). It is a tale that has survived the erasure of pagan culture brought by Christianity.
Recently, I stumbled upon the symbolic meaning behind the story, and I felt deeply inspired to use it for this illustration.
 
The fairy tale of Vrouw Holle tells the story of a girl who falls into a water well, entering the underworld. Along her journey, she encounters several tasks, each carrying a symbolic meaning representing the different phases of a woman's life. Picking an apple signifies the transition from maiden to mother, while taking bread from the oven symbolizes the shift from mother to wise old woman. After completing these tasks, she enters the "winter period" of her life, where she receives guidance from the witch/goddess Vrouw Holle.
 
Her main task here is fluffing the pillows, which causes snow to fall on Earth—symbolizing the process of letting go and shedding layers, perfectly aligning with the essence of the winter season.
Unlike the common perception of Vrouw Holle as merely an old woman or a witch, she was once revered as a goddess in pagan culture—the goddess of life, death, and the Earth.
 
I love to reclaim a little bit of her image by creating this work. (swipe to see some other illustrations about this tale)
For this illustration, I also used pigments derived from plants commonly found during the winter season: holly leaves, rosehip, red cabbage, walnut shells, and alder fruit.