The frozen landscape was a major theme for Dutch painting in the seventeenth century. The pioneer was Hendrick Avercamp, born in Amsterdam, who moved to Kampen. His scenes were first inspired by the varied crowds of Brueghel, and later he lowered the horizon to better express atmosphere and light.
Aert van der Neer, also born in Amsterdam, was thirty years old in 1633 when Avercamp died. He appears as his successor with his frozen rivers or canals in a pleasant environment with trees, houses and mills in a skilled composition with peacefully scattered walkers and skaters. An oil on panel 40 x 55 cm painted in the late 1640s was sold for £ 2,65M including premium by Sotheby's on 4 December 2013.
On January 29 in New York, Sotheby's sells a scene of frozen river at sunset, oil on panel 46 x 70 cm painted by van der Neer circa 1660, lot 35 estimated $ 4M. The warm light that soaks this winter scene makes secondary the details of the gentle animation.
Van der Neer missed his career despite a collaboration with Cuyp. His moonlight sceneries did not excite his contemporaries and he was not considered as an outstanding artist.
Two centuries later, Andreas Schelfhout was the best known Dutch Romantic landscape painter. He had thoroughly studied Ruisdael and Hobbema. Times had changed and Schelfhout obtained success with scenes similar as the best paintings by van der Neer. An oil on canvas 96 x 145 cm painted by Schelfhout in 1857, previously discussed in this column, was sold for € 480K including premium by Sotheby's on December 13, 2010.
Aert van der Neer, also born in Amsterdam, was thirty years old in 1633 when Avercamp died. He appears as his successor with his frozen rivers or canals in a pleasant environment with trees, houses and mills in a skilled composition with peacefully scattered walkers and skaters. An oil on panel 40 x 55 cm painted in the late 1640s was sold for £ 2,65M including premium by Sotheby's on 4 December 2013.
On January 29 in New York, Sotheby's sells a scene of frozen river at sunset, oil on panel 46 x 70 cm painted by van der Neer circa 1660, lot 35 estimated $ 4M. The warm light that soaks this winter scene makes secondary the details of the gentle animation.
Van der Neer missed his career despite a collaboration with Cuyp. His moonlight sceneries did not excite his contemporaries and he was not considered as an outstanding artist.
Two centuries later, Andreas Schelfhout was the best known Dutch Romantic landscape painter. He had thoroughly studied Ruisdael and Hobbema. Times had changed and Schelfhout obtained success with scenes similar as the best paintings by van der Neer. An oil on canvas 96 x 145 cm painted by Schelfhout in 1857, previously discussed in this column, was sold for € 480K including premium by Sotheby's on December 13, 2010.
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