Winter Landscape near a Town with Kolf Players c. 1658 - 1660

Editor: This is "Winter Landscape near a Town with Kolf Players," an oil on canvas created around 1658-1660 by Aert van der Neer. It just makes me feel...cold! All those icy blues and greys, the stark trees... But also, it looks like everyone is having fun playing on the ice, what strikes you when you view this? Curator: Oh, it’s colder than a witch’s kiss, alright! Van der Neer, he’s a master of capturing that luminous, almost melancholic atmosphere of a Dutch winter. It’s not just the cold, though, is it? Notice the light, how it almost glows from within the clouds themselves. It’s like the day is holding its breath. Does that evoke a story for you? Editor: It does. It's a scene of daily life and I find the way he contrasts the gloom with the light of the sky so compelling, giving the scene an energetic feel, and the townspeople stand in small groups, a touch of isolation against the wide open background. I'm not too sure what's going on in the left of the work - is that golf? Curator: Well, those charming folks aren't whacking golf balls, exactly. They're playing 'kolf', an old ice game popular in the Netherlands that kind of resembles a mix of golf and hockey! And Van der Neer does this beautiful dance of light and shadow. It's almost as if the heavens are watching the townsfolk at play and casting this gorgeous luminescence across this little micro drama on the ice. It is like he’s whispering to us “Hey, life is fragile. Enjoy your games while you can!” Editor: I guess that is how art speaks, or whispers at least. Thanks so much for your insights! I'll never look at another winter scene the same way. Curator: Anytime! These Dutch painters, they just knew how to take the everyday and elevate it. Keep looking, keep questioning, keep feeling!