Winter is upon us. As the nights draw in and it grows colder, discover how one 17th-century Dutch painter conjured up the feeling of winter. 

A specialist in moonlit and frost-bitten landscapes, Aert van der Neer (1603/4-1677) used light and colour to depict his native Holland in the depths of winter. In his paintings, figures skate over frozen rivers, blankets of snow pile up on roofs, and skeletal trees form silhouettes against frosty skies. The scenes van der Neer represents are usually imaginary, but they are clearly inspired by the bitterly cold winters experienced in the Low Countries between the 1640s and 1660s, some of the coldest periods in what has become known as the ‘Little Ice Age.’  

Join us for a closer look at the techniques van der Neer used to paint the winter landscape. Learn about the artists who influenced him and the meteorological conditions he depicted. And don't forget to wrap up warm!