Winter 1581 - 1656

Curator: Looking at this engraving by Nicolaes de Bruyn from around the late 16th or early 17th century titled "Winter," one immediately sees a vibrant depiction of winter activities. Editor: My initial impression is that of organised chaos. The composition is bursting with figures, details and it’s difficult to focus on a single element. It’s a highly textured scene. Curator: Indeed. It depicts an entire community enjoying winter. Note how de Bruyn integrates figures from across the social spectrum into a unified landscape, highlighting a shared cultural experience, which speaks to a rising sense of collective identity. Editor: And structurally, the eye is led from the detailed foreground figures to the blurry background village; the texture shifts. We see delicate linework on the figures’ costumes in stark contrast to the implied depth of the snowscape using varied hatching techniques. Curator: Right. Consider also the context. Genre scenes like this gained popularity as the Dutch Republic asserted itself. Everyday life became a suitable subject, which reflected the values and the character of its rising merchant class. Editor: Beyond context, the use of monochrome restricts emotional expression through colour; instead, de Bruyn forces us to consider each character through his physical portrayal—some gleeful, some solemn—using minimal contrast and stark lighting to define each one’s presence in space. Curator: It's fascinating how De Bruyn manages to weave political, social, and art historical trends into this engraving. The Rijksmuseum’s acquisition of this print reflects the lasting impact of these elements in shaping our cultural understanding of the Dutch Golden Age. Editor: I agree; de Bruyn’s choices in representing the cold landscape by relying on lines to build shape—without atmospheric hues—results in a powerful image in its graphic, if not slightly crowded, portrayal of winter festivities.