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Oil Painting - Unknown Maker
Moonlit Scene with Skaters, c.1640
This lively picture is a wintertje, one of the little winter scenes so favoured in 17th century Dutch society, popularised by artists like Hendrik Avercamp and Esaias van der Velde. The Dutch were passionate about paintings, and an English visitor remarked that even the blacksmith had one in his forge.
This picture's limited palette gives greater intensity to the contrasts of light and shadow, as skaters make their way home from work at night-time. The unknown painter shows extraordinary skill in conveying the crisp, cold atmosphere of a frozen winter's night, simplifying the shapes and shadows to make them more dramatic. This was a favourite painting of Sir William Holburne, who thought it was by the painter Aelbert Cuyp, and it hung as part of a 'cabinet' of Dutch pictures in his study in Bath.
Activities, discussions and questions
» How has the painter used light in the picture?
» What part do the figures play in the composition? How would
it look without them?
» Sketch the picture in colour and describe how the atmosphere
has changed.
Oil Painting - Unknown Maker
Moonlit Scene with Skaters, c.1640
Material: Oil on panel
Dimensions: 33.7 cm x 26.3 cm
Place made: Netherlands
Accession No: A 85
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