Vue de la ville de Maaslins (Hollande)

Johan Barthold Jongkind 1819 - 1891

Summary

What makes this winter scene unusual is the frozen water in both the bottom left and right-hand corners. On the right-hand side there are groups of people, both men and women, skating on the ice and they can be seen all along the river as it recedes into the distance at the centre of the composition. Between the frozen water in the foreground there is a patch of land on which a large windmill is built. As about two-thirds of the composition is clear, unclouded sky the windmill stands out as the only landmark that punctuates the skyline other than the line of birds in the centre. In the distance, along the horizon, there are different buildings, suggesting there is a town. The largest of the buildings is slightly to the right and appears to be a church as it has a steeple rising from it. Written in the bottom left-hand corner is 'Maaslins Jongkind 1862'.