Winter Landscape 1620

Hendrick Avercamp painted this winter scene in oil on panel in the Dutch Republic, sometime in the early 17th century. This sort of scene was especially popular at this time, and it offers us a glimpse into the social life of the period. The Dutch Republic was a relatively egalitarian society, and here we see all classes of people enjoying themselves on the ice. Note the figures in the foreground, who are more elaborately dressed than those in the background; this is one way Avercamp uses visual codes to indicate social class. More generally, genre painting like this reflected the values of a newly confident society and a growing art market. To better understand this, one might consult contemporary social histories or studies of the art market in the Dutch Republic. The meanings we give to art change over time and are always rooted in the institutions and social conditions of their making.