Cleveland Museum of Art

Winter: Skating Scene

Gobelins Manufactory

Date

designed c. 1535, woven mid- to late 1600s

Medium

Wool, silk, and gold filé: tapestry weave

Culture

France

Department

Textiles

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

People of all classes and ages enjoyed ice skating, a winter pastime popularized in the Netherlands. Here, some couples are already skating and slipping on the ice, while others tie on their skates or huddle around braziers (portable coal heaters) to keep warm. One affectionate couple in the foreground hold hands as they walk. A castle on the far edge of the frozen lake occupies the background. In the left distance, several small figures holding ladders and long hooks run toward a building that has caught on fire, a frequent occurrence in the winter when wooden houses were heated by fireplaces. If you look closely you can see that the top edge of this scene is missing; look at the top of the castle on the right or the forest fire on the left.

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