A Winter Landscape
- Artist: Esaias van de Velde
- Date: 1623
- Medium: oil on wood
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is the "A Winter Landscape" by Esaias van de Velde. Painted in 1623, it's one of the earliest winter landscapes from the Dutch north. The soft, muted colours convey a sense of cold bleakness, but also suggest the promise of coming warmth.
You can see that most of the snow has gone, although small patches hold on tenaciously, especially at the back of the house. But what really stands out is the shadow of the gnarled old tree on the wall - it's clear that the sun has come out for a moment.
Van de Velde was among the first to adopt this new style of painting winter landscapes, focusing not just on observing the scene but also on how it feels to be there. Unlike earlier works with bird's-eye views and many figures, this one puts you on a level with the church in the distance and features just enough people to involve you without distracting from the view.
The artist has captured the grey, misty sky with a faint band of blue across it, and there seems to be a bright patch beyond the kolf players. The scene is full of details that invite your attention, but the overall feeling remains one of quiet calm on a cold winter's day.
See it in person
A Winter Landscape 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.
