HENDRICK DE MEIJER (Rotterdam c. 1620 – before 1698)
A Winter Landscape with Numerous Horse–Drawn Sleighs on the Ice
signed and dated H.D. My ... / 1662 in the lower left
oil on canvas
19 x 25 ¼ inches (49.3 x 65 cm.)
PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Hanover
In 1970 Dr. Walther Bernt issued an expertise that confirmed this painting to be by Hendrick de Meijer.
Hendrick de Meijer is known to have worked in Rotterdam from 1646 – 1689. He painted beach scenes, cityscape parades, equestrian battles, historical events and winter landscapes.[1] His most famous work hangs in the Rijksmuseum depicting The Departure of Charles II of England from Scheveningen July 2, 1660. But the painter is always at his most delightful when depicting riotous ice-skating scenes.
In our painting sleds of all sizes along with individual skaters compete for the limited space on the ice. In the foreground an unfortunate golfer has been bowled over by an oncoming very ornate horse-drawn sledge. It appears as if the entire town has turned out to enjoy the day. Jan van Goyen painted similar ice-skating scenes which at times caused De Meijer’s work to be misattributed to Van Goyen.[2] The Historisch Rotterdam Museum owns De Meijer’s IJsvermaak op de Maas (Fun on the Ice on the River Maas) dated 1689. Although painted 27 years later the composition is very similar to our A Winter Landscape with Numerous Horse-Drawn Sleighs on the Ice.