Artwork
Winter Scene on the Ice with Wood Gatherers
Winter Scene on the Ice with Wood Gatherers is an oil painting by Andreas Schelfhout. It dates from 1849 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Winter Scene on the Ice with Wood Gatherers presents a winter landscape, its main subject as recorded for the work.
Winter Scene on the Ice with Wood Gatherers presents a winter landscape, its main subject as recorded for the work. The painting depicts a frozen outdoor setting populated by trees and a boat, combining the seasonal motif of ice-bound rural activity with the gathering of wood, a humble labor associated with the cold months. As a winter landscape by Andreas Schelfhout, the work belongs to a Dutch tradition of celebrating frozen waterways and everyday country life on ice, where figures engaged in tasks such as collecting fuel underscore the relationship between people and the harsh winter environment.
The inclusion of trees and a boat within the icy setting reinforces the rural, working character of the scene, situating the wood gatherers within a broader natural and everyday context rather than a purely picturesque one.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1849, this work is an oil painting applied on a wooden panel. The composition measures 18.5 cm in height and 26.5 cm in width. Stylistically, the piece functions as a winter landscape, featuring specific natural and man-made elements including trees and a boat situated on the ice.
The handling of the medium supports the detailed depiction of these subjects within the confined dimensions of the support.
History & Provenance
Andreas Schelfhout created the oil-on-panel painting Winter Scene on the Ice with Wood Gatherers in 1849. The work measures 18.5 cm in height and 26.5 cm in width. Historical records indicate that the piece was once owned by Reinhard, Baron van Lynden. It is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
Winter Scene on the Ice with Wood Gatherers, painted by Andreas Schelfhout in 1849, is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. According to the work's documented provenance, it was formerly owned by Reinhard, Baron van Lynden before entering the museum's holdings. The painting, executed in oil on panel and measuring 18.5 by 26.5 cm, is catalogued as part of the Rijksmuseum's collection of nineteenth-century Dutch landscape paintings.
No specific exhibition history beyond its current placement in the Rijksmuseum collection is documented in the available sources.
Context
Winter Scene on the Ice with Wood Gatherers depicts a frozen landscape with figures gathering wood, reflecting 19th-century Dutch winter genre scenes. The work was painted by Andreas Schelfhout in 1849 as an oil on panel, measuring 18.5 cm by 26.5 cm. It entered the collection of Reinhard, Baron van Lynden, before being acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it remains part of their holdings. The painting is recognized as a representative example of Schelfhout's winter landscapes, which contributed to the genre's popularity in the Netherlands.
Scholarly attention to the work focuses on its technical execution and thematic resonance within Schelfhout's oeuvre, particularly how it exemplifies Romantic-era fascination with nature's sublime qualities. Its provenance and acquisition by a national museum underscore its significance in Dutch art history.
Overview
Andreas Schelfhout’s 1849 oil painting, Winter Scene on the Ice with Wood Gatherers, presents a tranquil frozen riverbank populated by a modest boat, a handful of figures, and a distant church spire. The composition captures a typical Dutch winter, with bare trees, a pale sky, and the subtle play of light on ice and snow, inviting the viewer into a quiet, seasonal moment.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Andreas Schelfhout (1787–1870) was a Dutch painter, etcher and lithographer, known for his landscape paintings.
