In this Winter landscape with a bird trap painting, we see a group of people taking to the frozen lake to test their ice skating abilities.

Perhaps it was a quicker way to travel through the village than walking when the boats were out of action. The painting is based on what is thought to be the Brabant village of Fed Saint Anne near Diben. The undertones of this painting suggest that the traps are ready to capture unsuspecting birds, much like the holes in the ice which may trap unsuspecting ice-skaters. This calm and beautiful snowy scene has more to it than it may seem.

Pieter Brueghel The Younger was a Flemish renaissance artist in the late 1500’s – early 1600’s and is famed for artwork that depicted the wickedness of humankind and peasant life. He was influenced by his father Pieter Brueghel The Elder, an artist who also painted in the same vein.  

Dimensions: 66 x 50cm

Number of Pieces: 1000