Village Landscape with a Dovecote and Ice Skaters on a Frozen Canal by Esaias van de Velde. Dutch, 1624. Oil on circular panel. In a private collection.
Catalogue note from Sotheby’s website:
Turning away from the carefully structured and mannered approach of his predecessors, such as Gillis van Coninxloo and Adam Elsheimer, Van de Velde was among the earliest proponents of a more naturalistic approach to landscape in the Netherlands. As such, he was an important influence on Jan van Goyen, one of his pupils, and the younger generation of landscape artists. Van de Velde's subjects are ordinary scenes, set in landscapes or small towns, as here, and are presented with an utter lack of grandiosity. He paints them from a low vantage point, which creates a sense of immediacy for the viewer.
A Winter Scene with Figures Skating, in the manner of Esaias van de Velde
Dutch, 17th century
oil on canvas
private collection
Skaters on a Frozen River by Esaias van de Velde
Dutch, 1619
pen and brown ink, and point of the brush and gray ink
private collection
Villagers Skating on a Frozen Pond by Esaias van de Velde
Dutch, 1625
black chalk with brown wash on laid paper
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Winter Landscape with Tower by Esaias van de Velde
Dutch, c. 1613-1614
pen and brown ink with brown and gray wash, incised for transfer
Getty Museum
Winter Landscape with Skaters and a Farm House by Esaias van de Velde. Dutch, 1616. Oil on circular panel. In a private collection.
Catalogue note from Sotheby’s website:
Turning away from the carefully structured and mannered approach of his predecessors, Van de Velde was among the earliest proponents of a more naturalistic approach to landscape in the Netherlands. As such he was an important influence on Jan van Goyen, one of his pupils, and the younger generation of landscape artists. Van de Velde's subjects are ordinary scenes, set in landscapes or small towns, as here, and are presented with an utter lack of grandiosity. He paints them from a low vantage point, which creates a sense of immediacy for the viewer.
In the present painting, we see townspeople enjoying a day on the ice. In front is a very formal looking couple perched on a sled with a tall, decorated back, while to the left a skater in a yellow vest looks dangerously close to tipping over. This combination of humor and naivety is characteristic of Van de Velde's earliest works, as are the wispy trees and rather flat buildings. The winter subject dictates a narrow range of tones, but the artist enlivens the scene with the bright colors of the foreground figures and pure white touches of snow.