Winterlandschap met schaatsers 1608 - 1612

This is Andries Stock’s "Winter Landscape with Skaters," a small yet vivid etching. Created around the turn of the 17th century, it offers us a glimpse into the social life of the Netherlands, a society that was rapidly changing through trade and cultural exchange. Stock presents us with a familiar scene: figures skating, playing games, and going about their daily lives on a frozen waterway. But look closer. The clothing and activities suggest different social classes coming together on the ice. The embodied experience of winter and leisure, however, could be enjoyed across lines of gender, race, and class. The architecture gives a sense of place and home. The activities are accessible to many, although the finely dressed figures skating in the distance hints at the burgeoning merchant class of Dutch society. The print reminds us of the cyclical nature of life and the shared experiences that bind communities together, even as social and economic forces pull them apart. In these moments of shared joy, can we find common ground?