Winter Landscape with Ice Skaters, from the Landscapes series

During the first third of the 17th century, a revolutionary shift occurred in the output of engravers active in Haarlem: the elegantly stylized landscapes of Late Mannerism gave way to simpler depictions of the typical Dutch panorama. Intimate views of villages and towns with bustling everyday life were now rendered using the more relaxed technique of etching, with an emphasis on the purity of line. Peaceful winter scenes portraying ice skaters became increasingly popular.