Artwork
Portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Thijssen on the Ice
Portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Thijssen on the Ice is an oil painting by the Realist artist Jacobus Sörensen. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Jacobus Sörensen’s 1845 oil painting entitled *Portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Thijssen on the Ice* presents a winter scene in which a couple walks hand‑in‑hand across a frozen lake. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection and measures the everyday leisure of a mid‑nineteenth‑century Dutch family against a backdrop of skaters, sledders and a muted sky.
Subject & Meaning
The central figures are a man in a tall black hat and a long dark coat and a woman in a dark dress with a white collar. Their leisurely pace, contrasted with the activity of surrounding figures, suggests a moment of intimate companionship within a communal winter setting, emphasizing personal connection amid public recreation.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, Sörensen employs a subdued palette of grays, browns and whites to convey the cold atmosphere. Loose brushwork renders the distant trees and sky, while finer detail defines the couple’s clothing, highlighting texture and the weight of winter garments typical of the period.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1845, the portrait entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings through acquisition in the early twentieth century, though the precise chain of ownership before its museum entry remains undocumented. The work has been displayed as an example of Dutch genre painting that captures social life on ice.
Context
During the mid‑1800s, frozen canals and lakes were popular venues for recreation in the Netherlands, a theme frequently depicted by artists interested in everyday scenes. Sörensen’s focus on a well‑dressed couple reflects contemporary middle‑class values and the fashion of winter attire, situating the painting within broader trends of genre realism.
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Artist & collection
