Frozen Time Capsule
Sharon April 9th, 2010
Recently I met a friend at the National Gallery in Washington DC and spent a peaceful day wandering the exhibits and talking art and more. It is always inspiring, and often intimidating, to peruse the works of master artists from past centuries.
I am intrigued by miniature painting and was very interested to view the exhibit Hendrick Avercamp and the Little Ice Age’ which runs through early July 2010. The paintings are from an unusually cold period in Europe of the 1600s when Dutch canals regularly froze over during long winters. Avercamp (1585–1634) painted the active life of the city’s residents as they used the frozen waterways as roads, meeting places and entertainment.
Each of the small paintings is full of tiny figures, painted with loving detail pursuing a wide variety of activities. Ice skating was depicted of course, but also dogs and carts, sleighs and horses, even men seriously pursuing a golf game! Each panel has a rich depth of field and becomes a view into another time and place.
Technically the paintings are gems of realistic accuracy with an affection of detail and a delight of color. The soft golden skies glow and rich colors of ultramarine and crimson decorate the ornate clothing of wealthy Dutch families. More than just realism, however, the paintings celebrate an artist’s pride in his city and the simple pleasures of it’s citizens through a cold winter.
