Winter scene – Hendrick Avercamp + Simon Fokke, mid 18th century

Winter Scene at “Slooten, Ao 1624.” etching made mid-18th century by Simon Fokke (active 1722–1784) after a drawing by Hendrick Avercamp. Coloured by a later hand. Size: approx. 12 × 15.5 cm.

In the Netherlands, periods of frost have for centuries given rise to what might be called an “ice fever.” Young and old, rich and poor alike keep a close watch on canals, rivers, and lakes as temperatures fall. This deep-rooted attachment to the ice was never more beautifully depicted than by Hendrick Avercamp (1585–1634). At the beginning of the seventeenth century he was the artist who elevated the “ice scene” to an independent genre. He was the first to specialize in painting winter landscapes filled with icebound recreation. His scenes are full of ever-new details, most of them connected with amusement and pastime on the ice.

Here we see a fisherman in front of a reed fence; he has just hacked a hole in the ice in order to lower his net, while a brazier provides warmth. A duck hunter with his dog stops for a chat. Further on – comic detail – a man hangs with his bare buttocks over a hole in the ice. In the background, figures move about on sledges.

A sense of timelessness pervades Avercamp’s scenes, one that remains recognizable even today. For this reason, his winter landscapes are now regarded as among the most important and characteristically “Dutch” representations of the seventeenth century.

Price: Euro 825,- (incl. frame)
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