'The Castle of Muiden in Winter', 1658
by Jan Beerstraaten
London, The National Gallery

The castle in this painting is at Muiden, near Amsterdam, and looks much the same today. However, Beerstraaten has invented the landscape around it.

The sky, which takes up almost two thirds of the entire painting, gives us an idea of what the weather is about to do. The heavy, dark clouds suggest that snow is on its way, and give the painting a cold, almost spooky, feeling. The trees are silhouetted against the sky. There are many small figures, some playing an early form of golf, while others are skating and chatting.


© The National Gallery, London

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