Amusement à hiver

The present lot forms part of a small group of Dutch winter amusement-scenes by the romantic artist Tavenraat, who is better known for his dramatic forest landscapes. As pointed out by R. de Leeuw in Johannes Tavenraat 1809-1881, exhibition catalogue Cleves/Dordrecht, 1981/82, p. 42, these winterscenes were mainly executed in the second half of the 1860's after the artist's return from abroad to his native city Rotterdam. To refresh his view on the Dutch landscape, Tavenraat regularly wandered through the countryside outside Rotterdam and as such drew inspiration from the skating parties on the Kralingse Plassen and on the river de Rotte in winter.

See colour illustration