Known for his panoramic outdoor recreation scenes, painter Hendrick Avercamp holds a unique place among his 17th-century contemporaries for his focus on the joys and hardships of the long Dutch winter. Born deaf and mute, Avercamp was a natural observer, and his intricate compositions depict a wide range of activities including children ice skating, women attempting to wash clothes in frozen water, and men chopping wood to heat their homes. His distinctive style is characterized by high horizon lines, vivid colors, and compositions full of narrative vignettes.