Winter Landscape with a Hunter Shooting Duck at the Edge of a Frozen Waterway / Winter Landscape with a Duck Hunter 1634

This is Hendrick Avercamp’s oil on panel painting of a Winter Landscape with a Duck Hunter. Avercamp, born deaf, often depicted winter scenes filled with people enjoying the frozen waterways of the Netherlands. Here, the focus isn't just on the idyllic winter fun, but also on the stark realities of survival. In the foreground, a hunter takes aim at ducks, a necessary act for sustenance during the harsh winter months. The figures on the ice present a wide array of social classes, each seeking their own form of amusement or labor. Avercamp captures the emotional weight of winter, where the joy of leisure is intertwined with the struggle for survival. It’s a reminder of the interconnectedness of human experience. Avercamp’s unique perspective, shaped by his own challenges, allows us to see the diverse aspects of 17th-century Dutch life.