Skating on a Frozen River
Jan van Goyen·1640
Historical Context
Skating on a Frozen River from 1640 by Van Goyen depicts the quintessential Dutch winter recreation on frozen waterways. Ice skating scenes were enormously popular subjects that celebrated both the beauty and the social pleasures of the Dutch winter. Van Goyen's river scenes were executed using a monochromatic palette of grey-brown tones applied with remarkable economy — sometimes completing a composition in a single session. His ability to suggest depth and atmosphere with minimal means made...
Technical Analysis
The frozen river and animated skaters are rendered in cool, muted tones, the winter atmosphere captured with the atmospheric sensitivity characteristic of Van Goyen's tonal approach.
