River Scenery in Winter 1660 - 1718

Jan (I) Griffier painted this River Scenery in Winter to capture a bustling winter scene. Griffier, who was born in Amsterdam, spent much of his later career in England catering to the tastes of the English aristocracy for idealized landscapes. This painting gives us a glimpse into the intricacies of 17th-century Dutch society. You see figures from various social strata mingling on the frozen river. Griffier invites us to reflect on our relationship with the environment, especially in the context of a period known as the Little Ice Age in Europe. The frozen river becomes a stage where class distinctions are blurred, and where shared experiences are accentuated. There is a sense of harmony in this community, though some people are working and others are playing. The painting makes me think about our own contemporary moment, our shared humanity, and the ways in which we, as individuals, are interconnected with broader environmental narratives.