Per Wickenberg - Winter landscape with children playing on the ice

Per (Pehr) Wickenberg (1812-1846) Swedish

Dutch Winter landscape with children playing on the ice

oil on relined canvas
signed and dated P.Wickenberg 1839
gold frame with patina included
canvas dimensions 51.5 x 70.5 cm (20.27 x 27.75 inches)
frame 69.5 x 88 cm (27.36 x 34.64 inches) 

Per Wickenberg was a Swedish artist active in the early 19th century.  
He was only 34 when he died of tuberculosis; thankfully for the art history - at that point, he had practised the art of painting for more than 20 years.
After his art studies at the Royal Academy of Art in Stockholm, he left Stockholm and travelled to Paris in 1837.  
In Paris, he finally received the well-deserved success for his landscapes; he won golden medals at the Salon de Paris both in 1838 for his painting "Nordiskt vinterlandskap" and in 1839 for a painting called "Vinterfiske".
Per received a travel scholarship from Sweden and used that money for trips to Belgium and the Netherlands.
Our painting is from that time, the time after his success in Paris, and in this magnificent painting, we see his talent in capturing the cold winter mood with meticulous care of details.  
Notice how nicely painted the children are on the ice, the sledge filled with hay to provide comfort and insulation against the cold.
In the background, we can see an ice skater, a detail that gives the painting depth and three-dimensionality.
This is a wonderful painting by a talented artist - who devoted almost his entire life to the art of painting.

Condition: 
Overall good condition, bright and clear colors. 
There are some old retouching in some areas (please contact for UV images)

Provenance: 
AAG Auctions, Amsterdam, nov 2015, lot 29;
A Swedish private collection