Winter Landscape, Oil On Panel, 17th Century Dutch School

Winter landscape near a frozen river
17th century Dutch school 
Cercle of Klaes Molenaer (Haarlem, 1630-1676)
Oil on panel, dimensions: h. 19 cm, length. 27 cm
Molded and blackened wooden frame from a later period.
Dimensions with frame: h. 43 cm, l. 51 cm

The composition of our work is divided into two distinct parts, on the left the farmhouse with snow-covered thatched roofs while separated by a clear path, on the right the icy river. The partly clear sky announces a beautiful sunny winter day. However, winter activities are not without danger. In the middle of the path, here is a group of two people, one of whom has fallen and finds himself sitting on the ground, while his companion helps him get back on the road. On the frozen river we see two walkers walking on the ice, one of whom is struggling to find his balance while his companion holds out his hand. Some passers-by do not venture onto the frozen river, but instead head over and cross the wooden bridge. The almost monochrome palette of our work, made up of whites, grays and browns, is punctuated with touches of more acidic colors sprinkled throughout the landscape accentuating a few details, mainly the clothing of the characters. The precise brushwork of our artist, paying attention to numerous details, enriched the composition with strong contrasts and elaborate graphics. The details of the vegetation, the trees with bare branches, the shrubs with frosted foliage, the reeds around the river are painted in shades of gray and brown and accentuate this icy and frozen atmosphere. To counterbalance this effect of “stopped time”, the painter integrates numerous characters into the composition by animating this silent landscape and thus bringing it back to life. The sun brings a lot of cheerfulness to this painting, creating illuminated areas with intense touches of white and shadow areas with brown and ocher shades. Our very lively scene captures the life and atmosphere of a beautiful sunny winter day in the countryside.

The theme of winter is one of the most present in Dutch painting of the 17th century. Snowy landscapes have their origins in the period called the Little Ice Age extending from the end of the 16th century to the 17th century. Dutch artists have immortalized these moments to pass on to us their faithful accounts of the cold climate and particularly harsh winters of that time. It is interesting to observe that the painters voluntarily bear witness in their landscapes and in their winter scenes to the prosperity and joy of living of a very young nation, which is why these landscapes are always animated by numerous people, who despite the cold continue to lead their lives.