Winter scene, with figures on a frozen river in front of a walled town

Isack van Ostade 1621 - 1649

Summary

Flemish artists were the first to depict winter scenes on the ice. Figures were often portrayed with a sense of fun, bordering on caricature. Brueghel's Skating Before St. George's Gate was widely published as a print bearing the caption ‘The Slipperiness of Human Life', and would have been known to Dutch artists. This painting is typical of Dutch versions of the subject. As well as people chatting and enjoying themselves, there are comic details, such as men defecating and urinating and, of course, slipping over—a reminder that life is a hazardous business. Isack van Ostade, who mainly painted peasants and landscapes, trained in Haarlem with his brother Adriaen. He was active only for around a decade. This picture was painted when he was just twenty-one, seven years before his tragically early death.

Display Label

Winter Scene with Figures on a Frozen River mid 1600s Attributed to Isack van Ostade 1621 - 1649 Oil on panel Winter scenes on the ice were first painted by Flemish artists. Many figures are depicted with a sense of fun often nearing caricature. Brueghel's Skating before St. George's Gate was widely published as a print bearing the caption: The Slipperiness of Human Life and would have been known to Dutch artists. This painting is typical of Dutch versions of the subject. As well as people chatting and enjoying themselves, there are comic details of men defecating and urinating and, of course, slipping over; reminding us that life is a hazardous business. Assheton - Bennett bequest 1979.489