A horse-drawn sleigh and towns people on a frozen waterway

Andreas Schelfhout is celebrated as one of the most renowned 19th century Dutch Romantic painters. Known for his meticulous arrangement of figures and buildings in the composition, Schelfhout is particularly acclaimed for the atmospherical depiction of the sky and the detailed representation of the translucent ice or water. Whereas Schelfhout's early artwork, before 1830, consists of the somewhat pristine summer landscapes and seascapes, he is most famous for his beautifully, detailed winter landscapes that come to full maturity after 1840. The present winter scene from 1861 is a fine example of his mature style with all its gracious detailing in the ice blocks lying loose, the sharp cracks in the ice and skating tracks which were created by using thin brushes.
The discreet balance of the horizontal and vertical elements in the composition demonstrates the accurate layering that Schelfhout incorporated in this particular painting. In this case, the vertical formal language of the windmill in the immediate foreground and the wooden shed to its left, intersect the horizon effortlessly and the eye of the beholder is led to the illuminated background where one can make out figures in the distance. Yet, the movement of the many figures in the painting, for instance observed in the man skating away from the vantage point and towards the spectator, manage to create a dynamic ensemble of the strictly ordered masterpiece.