A Hilly River Landscape

Step into the tranquil beauty of a mid-18th-century winter scene with this captivating oil painting by Johann Christian Vollerdt. Signed "Vollerdt F 1763," this masterful work portrays villagers skating and sledding on a frozen river, surrounded by a serene countryside dotted with charming cottages. The composition exemplifies Vollerdt's celebrated craftsmanship, blending the finesse of German Old Master techniques with influences from the Dutch landscape tradition. A harmonious palette and meticulous detail evoke a timeless sense of peace and community. Elegantly framed and ready to hang, this artwork offers an exceptional addition to any fine art collection or living space.

Johann Heinrich Christian Vollerdt was an outstanding German landscape painter in the 18th century, and the present painting is one that testifies to his skill and the stylistic characteristics of his painting in the most beautiful way. His teacher was Johann Alexander Thiele. However, Thiele left fewer traces in Vollerdt's work than the study of Dutch landscape painting in the Dresden Picture Gallery. Of particular importance was the painting of Jan Griffier, whose riverscapes and Rhine views had a lasting influence on him.
There is no evidence that Vollerdt ever left his native Saxony, yet he often added southern motifs to his compositions. These ‘southern landscapes’ should therefore be understood as artistic quotations rather than real landscapes, as will be the case with Hackert.