Jan van de Velde II, Village in winter

Village in winter, painted by Jan van de Velde the Younger (1593 - 1641)

Frits Lugt Collection (2633), acquired in 1926

Jan II van de Velde was primarily a talented and prolific draughtsman and engraver. He spent most of his career in Haarlem and was among the artists responsible for introducing naturalism in the landscape genre. Few paintings signed by his hand are known and, contrary to his prints and drawings, his painted oeuvre is hard to define. When Lugt acquired this panel, it was attributed to Esaias van de Velde (cf. no. 29), Jan’s uncle. The influence of Esaias is indeed visible, but comparison with a landscape signed by Jan at the Rijksmuseum enables us to attribute the work to the latter. The contours of the branches, the white highlights on the trees and the houses outlined in white are characteristic of his style.

Oil on panel. 28 x 46,5 cm

Source: Do Smit