Schaatsende jonge vrouw uit Amsterdam 1728

Bernard Picart etched this delicate plate depicting a young Amsterdam woman skating. The skates themselves, with their upturned toes, capture our attention, echoing the fanciful footwear of figures in Renaissance paintings and classical antiquity. Consider Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus,” where the goddess’s sandals hint at a connection to earth, even as she emerges from the sea. Similarly, the skates here are not merely functional; they elevate the act of skating, connecting it to a deeper, perhaps subconscious, desire for grace and artistry. The gesture of the woman lifting her skirt—practical yet elegant—reappears throughout art history, each time imbued with a sense of modesty and poise. This simple act becomes a symbol of controlled movement, an echo of the dances and processions found in ancient frescoes. These recurring motifs are never truly new. They are reborn, skating through time.