Sports on a Frozen River

Skaters glide and children play on the ice of a frozen river while the village church rises beyond the bare trees. Aert van der Neer was the poet of the Dutch winter landscape, and this small panel captures the enchantment of a cold afternoon: a low sun breaks through the clouds, gilding the ice, while the figures in their dark coats move across the frozen water like dancers. The crisp air, the pale sky and the joyful crowd make it a scene of pure, everyday delight.