Figures skating on a frozen lake

Recent dendrochronological examination of the painting undertaken by Dr. Ian Tyers (December 2017) has confirmed that the single vertical oak board comes from a tree that was felled in northern Europe after circa 1603. The painting derives from a watercolor drawing by Avercamp in the Albertina, Vienna (fig. 1), suggesting that, at the very least, it was executed by someone in close proximity to the master who had access to this image. While too little is known about Avercamp at present to say for certain that he had a studio, recent research indicates that he received several large-scale commissions in Kampen, which may support such an idea.

A copy of Dr. Tyers' report will accompany the sale of this painting.