Skaters and a Horse-Drawn Sledge on a Frozen Waterway (Primary Title)
Winter Scene (Ice Skaters) (Former Title)
Anthonie Verstraelen, Dutch, 1594 - 1641 (Artist)
Hendrick Avercamp, Dutch, 1585–1634 (Former Attribution)
This charming scene conveys an underlying moralizing
theme that the artist reinforces with visual examples
of pairing and togetherness. The composition illustrates
villagers pulling together during a period of harsh
winter weather to aid various types of transportation
over the frozen surface of a river. Able-bodied and
properly equipped members of the community assist
elderly people and those with cargo to reach their
destinations. A pair of ice-skaters help each other stay
upright as a man on the shore, perhaps intimidated
by the prospect of venturing onto the ice alone, looks
on as his fellow citizens unite and cooperate. The
jovial atmosphere of solidarity and its advantages for
overcoming the travails of the season seem to be echoed
by the birds that fly overhead in pairs or small flocks.
The Jordan and Thomas A. Saunders III Collection
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.
