Another two-sided bookmark - This one featuring the re-appropriated works of Hendrick Avercamp’s A Winter Scene with Skaters near a Castle and Adriaen Brouwer’s Youth (Pages 93-94 from a book about Vermeer). I wouldn’t say that these are my favorite works from the time but out of the two I personally prefer Avercamp’s winter scene. I like the use of circular framing - It reminds me of a wide angle photograph. I had only seen this image in black and white and found parts of the scene disturbing. (I brushed that feeling off thinking it was probably just the vibe of the 1600s…) But then I saw that the painting was actually painted in these lovely soft colors. It’s impressive that a bit of color can change the narrative so greatly! Still, I do wonder… What’s going on it the distance in the center of the image? There’s water, a person who looks to be struggling in the water, and to the left, what looks like a headless skater. In fact, I see a couple headless women in the background… For a better look-see, visit the National Gallery and zoom in.
Liner Note
Made while listening to Yuzo Iwata and thinking about Gainsborough’s Captain Wade.
The quote I found interesting about this portrait is that this man, William Wade, “Demanded that Gainsoborough portray him in the most flattering, formal, elegant manner possible so as to impress the elite visitors to the spa.” (And P.S., the plan did not go as he had hoped for…)