Enjoying the Ice near a Town by Hendrick Avercamp was created in 1620. The painting is in Rijkmuseum Amsterdam. The size of the work is 47 x 89 cm and is made as an oil on wood.
A beggar tries to scrounge a bit of money, and another man has cut a hole in the ice in the hope of catching fish. The needy have to toil to make a living; those who are better off amuse themselves on the ice: and the richest of all – in the right foreground – look on. A few well-to-do ladies wear velvet masks to protect the delicate skin around their eyes from the cold.
About the Artist: Dutch painter Hendrick Avercamp was born in Amsterdam. He lived and worked there from 1614 until his death in 1634. he studied with the Danish-born portrait painter Pieter Isaacsz (1569–1625), and perhaps also with David Vinckboons. He is mentioned in various documents as the Kampen Mute, so it is assumed that he was deaf and dumb.
Avercamp probably painted in his studio on the basis of sketches he had made in the winter. Avercamp was famous even from abroad for his winter landscapes. The passion for painting skating characters probably came from his childhood as he practiced skating with his parents. The Flemish painting tradition is mainly expressed in Avercamp’s early work. This is consistent with the landscapes of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Read more
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