Artwork
Winterlandschaft mit Eisvergnügen
Winterlandschaft mit Eisvergnügen is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Hendrick Avercamp. It is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
About this work
Overview
Winterlandschaft mit Eisvergnügen, executed on copper, depicts a bustling winter tableau. Figures glide across a frozen pond, some engaged in ice skating while others play a rudimentary form of hockey. A windmill and modest dwellings rise in the distance beneath a muted, overcast sky, framing the lively activity on the ice.
Subject & Meaning
The composition celebrates communal recreation during the cold season, emphasizing collective enjoyment of outdoor pastimes. The juxtaposition of movement—skaters’ swift strides and the dynamic posture of the hockey players—conveys a sense of shared festivity, while the surrounding architecture anchors the scene in a recognizable, rural Dutch setting.
Technique & Style
Rendered on a copper substrate, the work benefits from the metal’s smooth surface, allowing fine, precise brushwork that captures intricate details such as the texture of winter garments and the subtle ripples of ice. The palette is restrained, dominated by grays and muted earth tones, reinforcing the chilly atmosphere while highlighting the figures’ activity.
History & Provenance
Attributed to Hendrick Avercamp, a noted Dutch painter of winter landscapes, the piece aligns with his broader oeuvre that documents early‑17th‑century seasonal life. Specific ownership records are scarce, but the work’s medium and subject matter place it firmly within Avercamp’s established period of copper‑based winter scenes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hendrick Avercamp (January 27, 1585 (bapt.) – May 15, 1634 (buried)) was a Dutch painter during the Dutch Golden Age of painting.
