Looking at the Masters: Hendrick Avercamp

A 17th Century Dutch artist, born in Amsterdam, Hendrick Avercamp (1585-1634) specialized in winter landscapes.  His father Barent Avercamp was the town apothecary of Kempen.  Hendrick was deaf, and he may not have been able to speak. He was known as the Mute of Kampen. He suffered frequent illnesses. Winter landscape became his most popular subject, although he also could paint portraits, and his sketches sold well. He was probably taught to draw and paint by the Flemish artist Gilles Conixloo (1544-1607) and the Dutch artist David Vinckbooms (1576-1632).

 “Winter Landscape with Skaters” (1608) (30’’x60’’) (Rijks Museum) (oil on wood panel) is thought to be one of the earliest paintings by Avercamp. He enjoyed skating on the winter ice with his parents. The setting is the town of Kampen, with homes, other buildings, and a church. The trees are leafless; the sky is almost as white as the ice, but people are out and about, some at work, while others enjoy games on the ice. Several small boats are ice bound. Kemper was a prosperous town because it was on the trade route between the Rhine River and the Zuiderzee.

The Dutch people were Protestants and the first to believe in education for everyone. They owned their homes and land, worked hard, and prospered. The clothing they wore indicated whether they were on the day at leisure or   working. Throughout the scene well-dressed men and women walk about in groups, engaging in conversation. Others skate or play colf, an early form of golf. A figure near the center of the painting has fallen on the ice. Several horse-drawn sleds provide rides. Typical of Avercamp’s painting, so much is happening.  At the lower left corner is a bird trap, a piece of wood held up by a stick. Tucked in the corner, a dog chews on a dead carcass. At the horizon, and hard to see, are the sails of a ship setting out to sea. The Dutch used landmarks and wind to aid navigation. 

“Winter Scene with Skaters Near a Castle” (1608) (16’’ in diameter) (National Gallery, London), another of Avercamp’s early paintings, depicts a castle as the focal point. Many of the same winter activities are depicted. There is a snowball fight going on at the left, as two young boys, one in a blue top and the other in orange, chase a young girl in the open area of the painting. Birds perch in the branches of the dead tree. 

The winter scenes are attributed to the Little Ice Age, a climate phenomenon that began in the 13th Century and ended in the early 18th Century. Winter came early and lasted well into spring. Heavy snows were frequent. Temperatures during the time of Avercamp’s paintings averaged well below zero.

Avercamp’s “Winter Scene on a Canal” (1610) (20”x36”) (Toledo Museum, Ohio) presents much the same array of people and events. The Toledo Museum closely examined the painting and produced the next three close-up images.

In the foreground at the left, the elderly man with the white beard carries a basket. He is warmly wrapped from his head to his heavy pants and thick shoes. A rooster and two hens pick at the ice where feed has been thrown.

Along the foreground to the right, three men stand together. One is a fisherman with a net. He has used his axe to cut a hole in the ice. He holds a long spear to reach deep into the water to catch fish, and has a net to keep them in. He talks with a second man. A third man is carrying two baskets.  The two men likely came to buy fish from the first man. Just behind this group is a man colfing.

Next to the group of fishermen are two couples in traditional Dutch black clothing. The men’s cloaks reach down to their knees, and the women’s cloaks reach to the ground. The men wear white ruff collars and tall black hats. The men wear wool bouffant knee breeches, both warm and comfortable. Leather boots or hose and shoes complete their attire. The attention of the black dog has been caught by a young lady whose image is found in the full scene.

“Winter Landscape with Flask Players” (1625) is a portrait of Averkamp and his brother Lambert as they compete hitting flasks. Both men have dark beards, but we may guess that the artist wears the colorful clothing.  Looking on is a well-known fisherman, in the red hat, and his son. The tools of their trade are the hatchet and a basket to carry the fish. The son carries the net to lift the fish from the water.

Several ships and boats are placed in the background. A consequence of the Little Ice Age, landmarks necessary to carry on trade became harder to find. Sailors’ journals record a sense of placelessness, at times unable to see or sense where they were, where they were going, or how to find home. Their English, French, and Danish rivals were all looking for a trade route to Asia. 

Avercamp’s paintings show the resilience of the Dutch to enjoy, survive, and thrive in difficult times. His paintings, although generally on one theme, were popular. He painted many and he prospered.

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for 40 years. Since retiring to Chestertown with her husband Kurt in 2014, she has taught art history classes at WC-ALL and the Institute of Adult Learning, Centreville. An artist, she sometimes exhibits work at River Arts. She also paints sets for the Garfield Theater in Chestertown