Although last sold as a studio work in 2018, this charming winter landscape is unmistakably an autograph, monogrammed work by Avercamp, the master of the ice scene. Clara Welcker had published the present lot in her catalogue raisonné but it was out of the public eye for the entire twentieth century. Recent technical analysis, including Hirox microscopy and infrared reflectography, has confirmed that the present painting is consistent with Avercamp's working methods as seen in other works analyzed for recent exhibitions. A watercolor of the same view by Avercamp is now in the Albertina, Vienna (fig. 1). The two compositions are nearly identical, with the exception of small details like additional birds in the sky of the Albertina watercolor.

Little is known about the life of Avercamp, a deaf-mute known as "De Stomme van Kampen" [the mute of Kampen] and it seems likely that he worked alone, without studio assistants. Avercamp is celebrated for his lively scenes of everyday Dutch activity on the ice, including skating, sledding, kolf, people-watching, and more mundane activities like transporting goods and even bodily functions. During the fifteenth through nineteenth centuries, the provinces of Holland experienced a "Little Ice Age" and the many canals connecting towns and provinces were often completely frozen, requiring inhabitants to use the ice as a thoroughfare and makeshift town square. Here, Avercamp captures the wide range of ages and social classes that took to the ice: the elegantly dressed couple in the left foreground looks on as a woman wearing a face mask is escorted in a horse-drawn sleigh, surrounded by children propelling themselves on sledges, and also looking on at right is a peasant man carrying a sack and accompanied by his dog.

Technical analysis:

Dendrochronological examination performed by Dr. Ian Tyers in December 2017 confirmed that the single vertical oak panel support came from a tree felled in Northern Europe after circa 1603. Additional technical analysis performed by Gwendolyn Boevé-Jones in February 2019 supports the attribution to Avercamp, as the paint layers, technique, and execution are consistent with other works by the artist. Boevé-Jones' report is available upon request.

The grayish imprimatura layer applied with thick brushstrokes is composed of the same pigments as seen in other works by Avercamp and is visible in raking light. Avercamp's detailed underdrawing is visible to the naked eye in areas such as the horse's mane and is entirely consistent with his drawing style in works on paper and in other underdawings for paintings. The excellent state of the panel's preservation allows one to appreciate the subtle pink, blue, and yellow glazes Avercamp used in the sky. The milky blue was created with Avercamp's favored mixture of lead white, lamp black, and smalt that allowed him to capture the chill of winter afternoon light.

A note on provenance:

Rudolf Brockhaus was the son of Heinrich Brockhaus (1804 - 1874), who managed his family's successful publishing company, F.A. Brockhaus. Rudolf's uncles Friedrich and Hermann both married the elder sisters of composer Richard Wagner. Rudolf's maternal grandfather, Heinrich Wilhelm Campe, was an entrepreneur, diplomat, and collects or of paintings and drawings.