Much less anecdotal than the winter scenes by Hendrick Avercamp (see 'A Winter Scene with Skaters near a Castle' & 'A Scene on the Ice near a Town'), this painting conveys instead the atmosphere of a cold winter day on a frozen waterway. The atmospheric effect is emphasised by the pale sunlight & restrained colours, & by the broad & rapid execution of the details. The village on the horizon has not been identified, & the scene may not be intended as a depiction of a particular site. Van Goyen painted more than 100 such winter landscapes.