A Scene on the Ice
c. 1625
Medium
oil on panel
Dimensions
overall: 39.2 x 77 cm (15 7/16 x 30 5/16 in.) framed: 64.8 x 102.2 x 5.7 cm (25 1/2 x 40 1/4 x 2 1/4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CNE-B
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1967.3.1
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Hendrick Avercamp’s *A Scene on the Ice* (c. 1625) captures the lively spirit of Dutch winter life during the Golden Age. Known as the “Mute of Kampen,” Avercamp specialized in panoramic winter landscapes filled with skaters, vendors, and everyday figures enjoying the frozen waterways. His delicate touch and eye for anecdote made these scenes both documentary records and charming entertainments for 17th-century viewers. Painted in oil on panel, the work’s smooth surface allowed Avercamp to render fine details—from the crisp patterns of clothing to the subtle reflections on ice—while the modest scale invites close, intimate viewing. Created during the Little Ice Age, when prolonged freezes turned Dutch canals into social hubs, such paintings celebrated communal joy and the fleeting beauty of nature. Acquired through the Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, this National Gallery of Art treasure offers today’s visitors a vivid glimpse into early modern European leisure and the enduring appeal of winter pastimes.
About the Artist
Hendrick Avercamp · 1585–1634
Dutch painter, best-known for winter landscapes and marine paintings. His lively paintings and drawings were enormously popular. Avercamp was hearing-impaired.