Artwork
Winter landscape with dead birds and hunters
Winter landscape with dead birds and hunters is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Aelbert Cuyp. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Overview
Aelbert Cuyp, an eminent Dutch Golden Age painter, executed the oil work Winter landscape with dead birds and hunters circa 1650. The composition presents a cold, frozen scene populated by hunters, their dogs, and a horse‑drawn sleigh, while a house and distant trees recede into the background. The painting is part of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The foreground is dominated by the carcasses of several waterfowl, including a large white swan and smaller ducks or geese, suggesting a recent hunt. In the middle distance, a small group of hunters and their dogs pause, their gaze directed toward the icy expanse, evoking a contemplative mood that balances the harshness of winter with the stillness of the landscape.
Technique & Style
Cuyp employs a restrained palette of browns, grays and whites, allowing the muted tones to convey the chill of the season. Visible brushwork creates a textured surface, while the handling of light retains the luminous quality typical of his landscapes, subtly illuminating the ice and the figures within it.
History & Provenance
Created around the middle of the 17th century, the work reflects Cuyp’s mature period when he frequently painted riverine and winter scenes. It entered the Gemäldegalerie Berlin’s holdings at an unspecified date and has remained in the museum’s collection, where it is displayed among other Dutch landscape paintings.
Context
During the Dutch Golden Age, winter genre scenes were popular, often illustrating daily life and the relationship between humans and nature. Cuyp’s depiction aligns with this tradition, yet his emphasis on atmospheric light and quiet reflection distinguishes the piece within the broader corpus of 17th‑century Dutch landscape art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Aelbert Jacobszoon Cuyp or Cuijp (Dutch pronunciation: ; 20 October 1620 – 15 November 1691) was one of the leading Dutch Golden Age painters, producing mainly landscapes.
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