Artwork
Enjoying the Ice
Enjoying the Ice is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Barent Avercamp. It dates from 1654 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The painting captures a winter landscape beyond a city’s fortifications, where frozen waterways host a lively tableau.
About this work
Overview
The painting captures a winter landscape beyond a city’s fortifications, where frozen waterways host a lively tableau. In the foreground, several figures wield curved wooden sticks, while a horse‑drawn sled traverses the ice and other individuals glide on skates. The scene conveys a moment of communal recreation amid a cold, open environment.
Subject & Meaning
At the centre of the composition is a game of kolf, an early ice sport resembling a hybrid of golf and hockey. Players use shepherd‑like crooks to strike a small ball toward a fixed target rather than a net, emphasizing skill and precision. The work records everyday leisure activities, highlighting the social importance of winter pastimes in the period.
Technique & Style
Rendered with a muted palette of whites, grays, and earth tones, the artist employs fine brushwork to suggest the texture of ice and the weight of the sled’s horses. Linear perspective guides the eye toward the distant city walls, while subtle light reflects off the frozen surface, creating a realistic yet atmospheric depiction of the scene.
History & Provenance
The creator of the work remains unidentified, and no signature appears on the canvas. The painting is dated to the early seventeenth century, aligning with documented popularity of kolf in the Low Countries. It entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum through a 19th‑century acquisition, where it has been conserved and displayed as part of the museum’s Dutch genre paintings.
Context
During the 1600s, ice activities such as skating, sledding, and kolf were common in Dutch towns, especially when canals froze over in harsh winters. The depiction reflects contemporary urban life beyond the protective walls, where citizens engaged in communal recreation that blended sport, transport, and social interaction.
Artist & collection
Artist
Barent Avercamp (1612 – October 1679) was a Dutch painter. Avercamp was born in Kampen and was taught by his uncle Hendrick Avercamp, who was also a painter. Barent primarily painted scenes depicting Netherlands in…
