A Scene on the Ice

The painting is executed in oil on a wooden panel, as recorded in the documentation. Its dimensions, approximately 39.2 cm in height and 77 cm in width, are noted in the catalogue. The work belongs to the landscape genre and depicts a winter scene with figures ice‑skating, a horse, a sled and a woman.

The oil medium enables subtle modeling of the figures and a luminous rendering of the icy surface, while the panel support offers a smooth ground for the fine brushwork characteristic of the composition.

The work titled A Scene on the Ice was painted by Hendrick Avercamp in 1625, as documented in its creation records [2]. Executed in oil on panel, the painting entered the Imperial Hermitage Gallery in Saint Petersburg before appearing in the 1933–1934 exhibition circuit, where it was attributed to the dealer D. Katz [1]. By 1934 the work had passed to J.M.B. Beuker of Heelsum, who retained it until inheritance by his widow; it was subsequently sold on 5 April 1967 through A. Martin de Wild to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. [1]

A Scene on the Ice is currently held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it carries the accession number 1967.3.1. The museum acquired the panel on April 5, 1967, purchasing it from A. Martin de Wild in The Hague; the work had previously belonged to J.M.B. Beuker of Heelsum and his widow. Although exhibition labels from 1934 and 1938 describe the painting as formerly belonging to the Imperial Hermitage Gallery in Saint Petersburg, the work does not appear in that institution's official collection catalogues.

Prior to its acquisition by the National Gallery, the painting was exhibited through the firm D. Katz in Dieren by 1933 and was listed under Beuker's ownership by 1934.

The painting A Scene on the Ice has been recognized as a key example of early Dutch winter genre scenes, its inclusion in the 1934 and 1938 exhibition catalogues and subsequent acquisition by the National Gallery of Art cemented its scholarly reputation; provenance research reveals a contested Hermitage connection that has prompted further study, while its presence in the NGA collection and documentation in authoritative sources such as Wikidata underscore its lasting significance in art-historical narratives.

A Scene on the Ice is an oil on panel painting by Hendrick Avercamp, created in the winter of 1625. The composition captures a wide expanse of a frozen waterway, teeming with a multitude of small figures. Skaters and sleds animate the surface, presenting a lively tableau of daily life and leisure during a severe Dutch winter.

The artist's meticulous attention to detail invites close observation of the many individual narratives unfolding across the ice.

The artwork reflects the reality of 17th-century Dutch winters, particularly the severe conditions of 1625 when canals froze extensively. These periods transformed waterways into public arenas for recreation and transport, where entire communities participated in weeks-long skating festivals. Avercamp's depictions resonated strongly with his contemporaries, offering a visual record of their shared experiences and daily routines on the ice, much like popular prints of later eras.