Artwork
Icy Pleasures on the City Canals
Icy Pleasures on the City Canals is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Adriaen van de Velde. It dates from 1669 and is held in the collection of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
About this work
Overview
Icy Pleasures on the City Canals is an oil painting created by Adriaen van de Velde in 1669. It is a landscape scene held at the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a lively winter scene on a frozen canal, with people engaging in various activities such as ice skating, conversing, and sledding. The atmosphere is one of activity and warmth despite the cold weather.
Technique & Style
The artist's use of light and shadow creates a sense of depth and highlights the textures of the ice and the figures on it, making them stand out against the winter landscape.
Context
The scene reflects the importance of ice skating in Dutch life during the 17th century, a popular winter activity when the canals froze.
Artist & collection
Artist
Adriaen van de Velde, was a Dutch painter, draughtsman, and print artist. His favorite subjects were landscapes with animals and genre scenes. He also painted beaches, dunes, forests, winter scenes, portraits in…
