River Landscape in Winter with Figures Skating and Sleds
1651
Medium
Black chalk and gray wash.
Dimensions
4 1/8 x 8 1/16 in. (10.5 x 20.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Harry G. Sperling, 1971
Accession Number
1975.131.149
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jan van Goyen's *River Landscape in Winter with Figures Skating and Sleds* (1651) captures the serene chill of a Dutch winter along a frozen river. Skaters glide gracefully across the ice, while sleds and distant boats add life to the expansive, snow-dusted landscape. This intimate drawing, measuring just over 4 by 8 inches, invites viewers into a quiet moment of everyday joy amid nature's stark beauty. A pioneer of the Dutch Golden Age landscape tradition, van Goyen (1596–1656) mastered tonal landscapes with his signature monochromatic palette, emphasizing atmosphere over detail. Here, black...
About the Artist
Jan van Goyen · 1596–1656
Important Dutch landscapist known for his so-called 'tonal style'. Comment on works: Landscapes; Marines; Views.