Afternoon Art: Skating on the Frozen Amstel River by Adam van Breen

A friend and I were discussing how easy it is to live in a place and never fully explore it. After our discussion, I challenged myself to have an occasional art date for lunch with myself. I am so close to DC after all so it seems logical to learn what I can about a work of art before visiting it and seeing it first hand. I am by no means an art connoisseur, but that won't stop me from enjoying, learning and sharing what I can. I gave myself a lunch hour to read, visit and find out more about one work of art. I am happy to report, it was a success!

Let's do a little background reading before leaving!

The Dutch and Flemish Galleries have some art that I remember liking very much. Since we are in the midst of winter, I picked a piece that seemed to fit: Skating on the Frozen Amstel River by Adam van Breen, painted in 1611. This painting takes place right outside of Amserdam, the Netherlands. Let's find out about it!

This painting stood out to me because I wonder what I, or we would paint if the subject were our neighborhood in the winter! I doubt surburbia in the winter on an election year would be very interesting.

Per the overview I read by Alexandra Libby, this painting is the first Dutch portrait of a country estate. She believes that the owner of the large stately house on the bottom left, the Borssenburg house, wanted to have a beautiful painting of is house in the context of a happy winter day. The owner, Abraham Verbeek, commissioned this painting and is actually in the painting with his two brothers, they are on the bottom right of the painting. Per the review, this time period in the Netherlands produced a lot of paintings of skating scenes. This was due to several years of severe winters that was nubbed "the Little Ice Age" and there was an increase in skating on the rivers as a result. *Side note: how miserable it must have been if they didn't have any radiator heat or insulation during that little ice age!*

Libby goes on to write how the painter included a variety of people from different socioeconomic backgrounds. There are a fancy group of rich people in the front, the woman is having her ice-skates tied for her. There is a small boy on a push sled. There is an orphaned child who is identified by the red and black panel shirts that orphans from the Amsterdam Burgerweeshuis (Orphanage) wore. There is a couple holding hands, and lastly there is what the reviewer believes to be a robbing scene with a thief escaping and someone behind him in hot pursuit.

After reading Libby's review, I noted where the painting was located (room 50 A, Main floor, West building of the National Gallery of Art). I grabbed my things and darted off.

Spot noted!

This way!

Hello, DC!

Almost there.

I loved walking through the National Gallery of Art on my way to find the piece, once I got there.

Fatty and Bentley

Once I arrived there I was thrilled to see the piece in person.

Here it is! It was much more beautiful in person!

 I stood in front of it for about ten minutes till a loud robotic voice came from the sky telling me I was too close! In person, what stood out to me was the sky and the pink clouds with the reflection of it on the river. I like how the artist didn't follow the rules of light, so you can see everyone's face very well-lit in the foreground. I also like the strong colors he used and how van Breen included a diversity of people from different socioeconomic backgrounds in the painting. If I were anyone in the painting, I think I would choose to be the woman in the couple out on a date. I imagine they were skating and going to finish the day with a big mug of dark hot chocolate! My other favorite character in this painting is the little boy putting skates on the woman. I can imagine how much patience he must have had to put on her skates with such a long pillowy skirt getting in the way. Another notable figure is the man in the bottom left corner who is "watering the plants." Lastly, the three brothers and owner of the house, in the bottom right corner seem to be discussing how long to keep the river open for skating. They are not wearing skates, perhaps don't believe in too much fun, and seem to be "in charge". Excuse the screenshots while I explain:

The country estate house that was commissioned to be painted.

The rich lady having her skates put on.

Please, m'lady, lift your blasted foot!

An orphan identified by his red and black shirt.

A little one learning.

The owner of the estate with his two brothers on the right.

Date day away from it all.

Come back!

Lastly, the thing I liked most about this outing was being able to prepare for it online with the rich content the National Gallery of Art provides. The painting online is able to zoom in very clearly. They also have great detail on the type of material used, and what kind of studies they have conducted on this piece. For example, this piece had an x-ray done and they found that the dark birds in the sky were added years after the painting was complete and added by another artist and paint type!

The birds were added years afterwards and not by van Breen.

I really enjoyed this lunch hour with a painting! I am looking forward to another one not too far off in the future!



Alexandra Libby, "Adam van Breen / Skating on teh Frozen Amstel River/1611," Dutch paintings of the Seventeenth Century, NGA Online Editions.