Attributed to the 17th Dutch artist, Adam van Breen, this painting was donated to the R&A by one of its members, Robert Boothby MP, in 1949. It is the oldest painting in the R&A’s collection.
The scene takes place in Utrecht on the River Vecht. The Dom Church Tower can be seen in the background. The painting is filled with figures, some of them regally dressed. They engage in a range of activities; some are strolling, some stop to converse, while the two gentlemen on the left are playing a game of kolf. Kolf or Colf (both spellings were used in the Low Countries from the 16th to 18th centuries) was a long game played outside towards a target, usually a hole or a pole. It was often played on the ice of frozen rivers or canals during the winter months.