After Joseph Van Bredael, Winter Landscape, 1720, Oil on Canvas

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Description

Joseph van Bredael (Antwerp 1688 – Paris 1739)
attributable

Winter Landscape with Frozen Lake and Skaters

Oil on canvas
98 … Read more Joseph van Bredael (Antwerp 1688 – Paris 1739)
attributable

Winter Landscape with Frozen Lake and Skaters

Oil on canvas
98 x 98 cm. - Framed 112 x 112 cm.

The setting for this splendid winter landscape is a completely frozen body of water, a veritable town square, populated by numerous characters depicted going about their daily lives, oblivious to the cold surrounding them.

The painting thus offers a precious snapshot of the coldest seasons in Northern Europe between the 17th and 18th centuries, an era often marked by extremely harsh winters.

Winter settings like ours became a veritable pictorial genre, reaching their peak in the Dutch Golden Age, in the wake of Pieter Brueghel the Elder, one of the pioneers of these snowy landscapes as early as the first half of the 16th century.

What united and made these compositions fascinating was the coexistence of opposing social classes in the same space: the nobles and wealthy bourgeoisie stand out in their refined clothing, with large cloaks and feathered hats, displaying their status even on the ice. Nearby, many commoners observe the scene from the sidelines, and children all around are having more wild fun.

The methods of transportation on the ice also varied according to social class: from the opulent wooden sled carved in the shape of a swan for the wealthy couple in love, to the more rudimentary one pushed by a man to amuse a lady seated inside.

The masters of this period were also skilled at rendering atmospheric landscapes. In our canvas, for example, although based on a real vision, the view reveals an almost dreamlike setting: the sky, imposing and dramatic, is filled with pink clouds that reflect the grazing light of the winter sunset, enveloping the entire scene in a suspended and evocative atmosphere.

Looking at the work, it's also interesting to spot playful details, intended to add realism and comedy to the scene. Such details as the woman who clumsily slipped on the ice and was left naked at the bottom, spark hilarity among those present.

In Flemish genre painting, artists typically depicted the lives of the people without idealizing filters, often depicting the trivial behaviors of the peasant class. The presence of the so-called "kakker" (the defecator; in our painting, a bent-over man appears on the left) is a grotesque element, but at the same time, an extremely common satirical device, prized by collectors of the time.

from an attribution standpoint, our canvas can be placed in the catalog of Joseph van Bredael (Antwerp 1688 – Paris 1739), a celebrated Flemish painter from a renowned dynasty of Antwerp artists. He was internationally renowned for his Italianate landscapes and genre scenes, and his winter landscapes in particular represent one of the finest expressions of his artistic output.

His work is distinguished by the extreme meticulousness of detail, typical of the miniaturist style. This is indeed a typical composition by the painter, executed with quality and meticulous attention to detail, and characterized by a pleasing, soft, and delicate palette. His compositions never fail to feature elements typical of the Flemish rural landscape, such as windmills, hunters with dogs, and even the presence of the woman slipping on the ice—a typical anecdotal detail found in his works.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is presented in a beautiful gold frame and comes with a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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