Artwork
The Heiligewegspoort in Amsterdam in Winter
The Heiligewegspoort in Amsterdam in Winter is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan van Kessel the Elder. It dates from 1670 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
The piece is currently held within the Rijksmuseum's collection, having previously been part of the Jacques Goudstikker assembly.
Executed in 1670, this landscape painting by Jan van Kessel utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 77 cm in height and 122 cm in width. As a winter scene, the composition focuses on the architectural depiction of the Heiligewegspoort in Amsterdam.
The piece is currently held within the Rijksmuseum's collection, having previously been part of the Jacques Goudstikker assembly. The medium and support combination reflects standard seventeenth-century Dutch practices for large-scale genre landscapes.
History & Provenance
The Heiligewegspoort in Amsterdam in Winter is an oil painting on canvas created by Jan van Kessel in 1670. The work measures 77 cm in height and 122 cm in width. It depicts the Heiligewegspoort, a gate in Amsterdam, rendered in a landscape style. The painting was part of the Jacques Goudstikker collection before entering the holdings of the Rijksmuseum.
The painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It also formed part of the Jacques Goudstikker collection.
The work's inventory or accession number is not specified in the provided sources. Its exhibition history is not documented in the given materials.
Overview
Jan van Kessel the Elder’s oil painting, created in 1670, portrays the Heiligewegspoort, one of Amsterdam’s historic city gates, during a winter day. The work belongs to the Dutch Golden Age landscape tradition and is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures everyday life on a frozen canal: pedestrians, ice‑skaters, and sledders populate the icy foreground, while the gate stands centrally, flanked by adjacent buildings and a bridge. The scene reflects the communal leisure and urban atmosphere of 17th‑century Amsterdam.
Context
The Heiligewegspoort was a prominent entry point to Amsterdam’s city walls, and its depiction aligns with a broader Dutch interest in documenting civic architecture and seasonal activities. The work illustrates how artists of the period merged topographical accuracy with genre scenes of daily life.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan van Kessel the Elder or Jan van Kessel (I) (baptized 5 April 1626, Antwerp – 17 April 1679, Antwerp) was a Flemish painter active in Antwerp in the mid-17th century.
