Artwork
On the ice near a town
On the ice near a town is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem. It dates from 1647 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem, a prominent painter of the Dutch Golden Age, created *On the ice near a town* in 1647. Executed in oil paint, this landscape depicts a winter scene on a rocky shore, featuring various figures, animals, and a distant town. The artwork is part of the extensive collection housed at the Rijksmuseum.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures a cold, austere environment where human and animal life unfolds. In the foreground, two men engage in conversation near a white horse, accompanied by a dog. Further into the composition, a lone individual sits in a small boat, while another figure walks towards a pile of rocks. A lime kiln is also visible, grounding the scene in human industry within the natural world.
Technique & Style
Berchem utilized oil paint with discernible brushstrokes to convey the rough textures of the ice and rocks. The artist skillfully employed dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, a technique known as chiaroscuro. This approach illuminates the horse's coat and the men's clothing, causing them to stand out against the darker, stormy sky and background, thereby enhancing their visual prominence.
Context
Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem was a key member of the second generation of 'Dutch Italianate landscape' painters during the Dutch Golden Age.
Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem was a key member of the second generation of 'Dutch Italianate landscape' painters during the Dutch Golden Age. These artists often integrated elements inspired by classical antiquity and pastoral imagery into their works. While *On the ice near a town* presents a distinctly Dutch winter setting, it reflects the period's broader artistic interest in varied landscape genres and atmospheric effects.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolaes Pieterszoon Berchem (1 October 1620 – 18 February 1683) was a highly esteemed and prolific Dutch Golden Age painter of pastoral landscapes, populated with mythological or biblical figures, but also of a number of allegories and…
