(Class Discussion – Global Change) Climate Change in Art (Class Discussion – Global Change)

Dutch winter landscapes from 1600s … Hendrick Avercamp A Scene on the Ice, c. 1625 Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund 1967.3.1 From the Tour: Dutch Landscapes and Seascapes of the 1600s Object 1 of 8   All classes of Dutch society mingle while enjoying winter sports. From the lower left corner, a poor fisherman surveys the many skaters. At the center, well-dressed ladies ride in an elegant sleigh driven by a groom; the horse's shoes are spiked for traction on the slippery surface. Two little boys in the right corner play a game of kolf, a cross between modern-day hockey and golf. And in the background, sledges act as commercial freighters on the ice. Avercamp, who combined the Dutch love of landscape with scenes of daily life called genre, was among the first European artists to specialize in depicting winter. The pearly gray tonality here becomes ever paler and the forms less distinct as they move into the distance, subtly conveying a sense of deep space on a frosty day. The setting may be the quiet village of Kampen northeast of Amsterdam. Very successful financially, Avercamp was called de stomme van Kampen, meaning "the mute of Kampen." It is known he was deaf throughout his life. Hendrick Avercamp A Scene on the Ice (c. 1625)

Dutch winter landscapes from 1600s … Jacob van Ruysdael Winter Landscape (1670) Jacob van Ruysdael Dutch painter (b. ca. 1628, Haarlem, d. 1682, Amsterdam)   Winter Landscape 1670 Oil on canvas, 42 x 49,7 cm Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

Dutch winter landscapes from 1600s … Jacob van Ruysdael Village at Winter at Moonlight Jacob van Ruysdael Dutch painter (b. ca. 1628, Haarlem, d. 1682, Amsterdam) Village at Winter at Moonlight - Oil on canvas, 36 x 32 cm Staatsgalerie, Schleissheim  

…1800s … Andreas Schelfhout Skaters on a frozen waterway (1857) Andreas Schelfhout (1787-1870) was one of the most celebrated Dutch painters of his day. His strength lay in picturesque winter landscapes and the present painting, Skaters on a frozen waterway (pictured), is one of his finest works. The beautifully detailed ice scene is depicting a frozen waterway with many figures on the ice, some gathered around a refreshments stall, others cheerfully skating on the glassy ice. Superb is his treatment of the ice, the scratches, tears and reflections have been rendered with great natural quality. The fresh colours and subtle distribution of the light render a great clarity to the scene. The oil on panel was painted in 1857, at the height of the artist's career, and is estimated € 180,000- 220,000.  

… and early 21st century (http://engr.calvin.edu/neth99/)

… and early 21st century (http://engr.calvin.edu/neth99/)

Dutch winter landscapes from 1600s to early 21st century Hendrick Avercamp A Scene on the Ice (c. 1625) (http://engr.calvin.edu/neth99/)

Dutch winter landscapes from 1600s to early 21st century: What can we deduce from depictions of the past? Is a picture worth a thousand words?

Dutch winter landscapes from 1600s to early 21st century: Discussion: What are issues to consider when deducing climate information from paintings? Discussion: What might we deduce from this set?

Other Dutch data from 1400s to 20th century:

Other Dutch data from 1400s to early 20th century: (Days for which a canal frozen between Laarlem and Leiden, Holland) Reconstructed winter temperature at De Bilt, Holland)

Climate Change in Art (Class Discussion) END