Skaters on a Frozen River, near a Mill and a Donjon


Signed and dated 1835 lower left
Oil on canvas
67.5 by 89 cm


It is not for nothing that the Dutch Romantic painter Andreas Schelfhout
was called ?the Claude Lorrain of the winterlandscape?. Building on a grand
tradition that had blossomed in the 17th century, Schelfhout acquired international
fame with his perfectly balanced compositions, superb brushwork and
masterful depiction of ice and sky. In his winters, the flat landscape of Holland
serves as the d?cor for overpowering skies over a low horizon, staffaged with
skating figures pushing sledges or gathered around a ?koek and zopie?. One
can practically hear the crackling of the ice and the feel the sub?zero air against
ones skin.


Born as the son of a gilder and frame maker, Schelfhout worked in his father?s
business up to the age of 24. In 1811 he started training with Johannes Breckenheimer,
who encouraged him to study the Old Masters. He started working
outdoors while practicing sketching from nature and ultimately discovering his
passion. He was greatly influenced by 17th century Dutch landscape artists
such as Meindert Hobbema (1638?1709), Jacob van Ruisdael (1629?1682) and
Nicholaas Berchem (1620?1683). From his studio sale in 1870 we know that
Schelfhout owned a significant collection of Old Master prints, drawings and
paintings, among which works by Antonie Waterloo (1610?1690) and Jan Both
(1618?1652). Schelhout?s landscape compositions show both these influences
as his own unique talent.


In 1815 he set up his own workshop and soon became immensely successful.
He exhibited extensively, won many prizes and enjoyed royal patronage.
During his lifetime he was well received by critics, which was confirmed by
numerous Golden Medals at the annually held Tentoonstelling van Leevende
Meesters, an exhibition instigated by the Dutch King Willem III.
He has been highly sought after by international collectors ever since.
This large canvas is a wonderful example of Schelfhout?s virtuosity. It shows
a classical skating scene, with a horse?drawn sledge being loaded to the left
and figures around a koek and zopie, with the typical red, white and blue
Dutch flag, in the background. The superb depiction of the sky and ice are
hallmarks of the artist?s talent. The treatment of the ice is unsurpassed: the
cratches, tears and floes are depicted with a great natural quality, effortlessly,
sometimes only hinting at it with the back of the brush. The lively scene
is seen under a cloudy but translucent sky and the eye of the beholder can
travel for miles, from the windmill in the foreground to the ruin in the distance.
The present lot indicates perfectly why Schelfhout was crowned ?leader? of the
Dutch romantic landscape painting by the art magazine Kunstkronijk in 1857.


Provenance:
G. Stern Collection, Colorado, U.S.A;
Sale, New York, Sotheby?s, 12 May 1975, lot 112;
Sale, London, Sotheby?s, June 11, 2012 lot 85;
Private collection, the Netherlands
Literature:
W. Laanstra, Andreas Schelfhout (1787?1870), Amsterdam 1995, p. 72, no. W
1835?1, illustrated in colour.

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