hendrick avercamp's 17th century painting is brought to life in stop motion animation

francine leclercq of soltani+leclercq has breathed new life into hendrick avercamp’s winter landscape with ice skaters through a stop motion animation and lenticular printing. the reimagining of the oil on oak painting from 1608 sees scenes brought to life as figures move across the canvas. the work has been realized as part of the 2020 international rijksstudio award competition, which is an open call to artists and designers to create their own masterpiece inspired by works from the rijksmuseum’s collection.

lenticular image superposition

all images courtesy of francine leclercq

the exquisite rendering of a winter scene depicting a wide range of activities on a frozen river is so effervescent in its narrative that every element seems to anticipate their next move. in this stop motion animation, leclercq has given movement to more than a hundred figures while also preserving the original appearance of the paint, in turn activating the panoramic landscape and offering alternative scenarios and compositions within the canvas.

detail of the original painting (top) and the last image of the animation sequence (bottom)

additionally to the animation, the artist developed a lenticular flip card where two or more images of the animated sequence are alternatively viewed when moved. this work is an attempt to call for an extending viewing of the painting, observing grim and humorous details, giving every brushstroke a new perspective and stimulating imaginations.

animation extracts

figures play with hockey sticks

a child runs across the snow

a woman takes water from a well

project info:

project name: winter landscape with ice skaters stop motion

artist: francine leclercq

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom