Sports on a Frozen River
This painting allows us to glimpse the reality that the seventeenth century was part of a period of pronounced global cooling known as the Little Ice Age. Scholars have argued it was caused by human interventions, namely environmental changes in the Americas wrought by early European colonialism. Van der Neer’s fascination with capturing the effects of light and atmosphere in oil paint found an ideal subject in this scene of skating, sledding, and winter games. The luminous sunset is reflected in the ice. Today, warmer winters make the Dutch pastime of skating on frozen canals and ponds more difficult.
Artwork Details
- Title: Sports on a Frozen River
- Artist: Aert van der Neer (Dutch, Gorinchem 1603/4–1677 Amsterdam)
- Date: ca. 1660
- Medium: Oil on wood
- Dimensions: 9 1/8 x 13 3/4 in. (23.2 x 34.9 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931
- Object Number: 32.100.11
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
More Artwork
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Related Content
Timeline of Art History
Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.