Winter scene with sledges and skaters on a river: a town at the right

Salomon van Ruysdael ca. 1602 - 1670

Summary

Salomon van Ruysdael is best known for his calm river landscapes. He was one of a group of artists active in and around Haarlem who brought a greater sense of naturalism to Dutch landscape painting in the 17th century. Previously artists had relied on Flemish models with bird's-eye viewpoints and spectacular, imaginative scenery, but these painters set about capturing the landscape of flat, reclaimed lands, or polder that they saw around them, delighting in the picturesque details that this new man-made landscape produced. They adopted a more naturalistic approach to colour too, using a tonal palette of browns and silvery greys to convey the subtle beauty of the local landscape. Van Ruysdael's landscapes often include distant views of towns, which seem real, but do not always represent real places. This view, for example, could have been inspired by Haarlem or Alkmaar. Van Ruysdael's winter scenes of the 1650s became more colourful with vast, bright blue skies. Here, he uses pink highlights in the sweeping clouds to evoke an evening light. The frozen waterway, bustling with skaters and decorative sleighs, contains many humorous details. An innkeeper has set up a tent on the ice, where both people and animals can obtain refreshment. A sleigh travels easily up the centre of the ice, past a group of men playing colf and a stick and ball game played in the streets and other open areas in summer, and on the ice in winter. Figures on the left and right have slipped over and even the dogs are finding it difficult to stay upright. A dark cloud overshadows the foreground, lending an ominous note to what is otherwise a carefree scene.

Display Label

Winter Scene with Sledges and Skaters on a River 1656 Salomon van Ruysdael 1600/3-70 Oil on panel The frozen waterway is bustling with skating figures and decorative sleighs, with many humorous details. Van Ruysdael’s landscapes often include distant views of towns which seem real but they are not always real places. This view could be inspired by Haarlem or Alkmaar. Van Ruysdael’s winter scenes of the 1650s became more colourful with vast, bright blue skies. Here, he uses pink highlights in the sweeping clouds to evoke an evening light. Assheton Bennett bequest 1979.497