Artwork
Winter landscape
Winter landscape is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Velde, Jan van de, II. It dates from 1625 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The intimate panel format reinforces the work's character as a closely observed study of season and place rather than a topographical record.
Winter landscape by Jan van de Velde is a small-scale landscape painting on panel depicting a quiet winter scene. The composition centers on a house set among trees, with a boat included among the depicted elements. As a winter landscape, the work belongs to a Dutch genre tradition that used snow, ice, and bare trees to evoke the stillness and atmospheric qualities of the cold season, transforming an ordinary rural or waterside setting into a contemplative seasonal image.
The presence of a dwelling amid leafless trees and a moored or frozen boat suggests themes of human habitation enduring within a dormant natural environment, a common motif in seventeenth-century Dutch winter scenes. The intimate panel format reinforces the work's character as a closely observed study of season and place rather than a topographical record.
Technique & Style
Jan van de Velde created Winter landscape in 1625 using oil paint applied to a panel support. The work measures 9.1 cm in height and 11.5 cm in width, classifying it as a small-scale painting within the landscape genre. Stylistically, the composition depicts specific elements including a house, a boat, and trees rendered in a winter setting.
The handling of the medium on the rigid panel allows for the detailed representation of these rural and natural features.
History & Provenance
Winter landscape is an oil painting on panel created in 1625 by Jan van de Velde. The work measures 9.1 centimeters in height and 11.5 centimeters in width and depicts a house, a boat, and a tree. It belongs to the landscape genre and was painted in the early Dutch Golden Age. The painting entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display.
The work was produced during van de Velde's early period in Amsterdam, reflecting his focus on realistic winter scenes and domestic settings. Its provenance traces directly to the Rijksmuseum's holdings, with no documented earlier owners prior to museum acquisition.
The dating is confirmed by the inception date recorded in the museum's catalog and aligns with the artist's known output in 1625.
Jan van de Velde's 1625 oil painting Winter landscape is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work is executed on a panel measuring 9.1 cm in height and 11.5 cm in width. It depicts a winter scene featuring a house, a boat, and trees.
The provided sources do not contain specific inventory numbers, accession dates, or a record of past exhibitions for this piece.
Overview
Jan van de Velde the Younger painted Winter Landscape in 1625 using oil on canvas. The work belongs to the Dutch Golden Age and is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection. It presents a tranquil winter scene along a frozen river, populated by a modest boat, a dwelling, and a solitary tree, all rendered in a muted palette.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan van de Velde the younger (1593 – c. 1 November 1641) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and printmaker, mostly of animal, landscape and still-life subjects. He was the son of Jan van de Velde the Elder and the father of…
