A Scene on the Ice near a Town
- Artist: Hendrick Avercamp
- Date: about 1615
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "A Scene on the Ice near a Town" painted in the Dutch north by Hendrick Avercamp, around 1615. It's an oil on wood painting that shows life on the ice during the Little Ice Age. The scene depicts people engaging in various activities like business, gossiping, tending to children, and having fun - but all of them are sped up on skates.
Look closely at the characters and you'll see endless stories and character sketches. There's a man pointing up the skirts of a girl who has taken a tumble, people playing kolf, the forerunner of golf, an old man on a chair that's thought to personify winter. And check out the flag in the background - it's the flag of the newly independent Dutch Republic, a feature added by Avercamp to appeal to his Dutch audience and show their pride.
The grey light of the winter day is beautifully captured here, with just a hint of warmth from the soft pink of a cloud creeping across one side of the vast sky. It's as if you're standing right there on the ice, witnessing these everyday scenes unfold.
See it in person
A Scene on the Ice near a Town hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
