Winter: Skating Scene
designed c. 1535, woven mid- to late 1600s
Medium
Wool, silk, and gold filé: tapestry weave
Dimensions
244 × 388 cm
Classification
Tapestry
Department
Textiles
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Francis Ginn, Marian Ginn Jones, Barbara Ginn Griesinger, and Alexander Ginn in memory of Frank Hadley Ginn and Cornelia Root Ginn
Accession Number
1952.544.4
Tags
About this artwork
People of all classes and ages enjoyed ice skating, a winter pastime popularized in the Netherlands. Here, some couples are already skating and slipping on the ice, while others tie on their skates or huddle around braziers (portable coal heaters) to keep warm. One affectionate couple in the foreground hold hands as they walk. A castle on the far edge of the frozen lake occupies the background. In the left distance, several small figures holding ladders and long hooks run toward a building that ...