The Little Ice Age and how it was captured in the visual arts

This presentation will discuss the term Little Ice Age, which was originally coined by François Émile Matthes in 1939. Today, this term is conventionally used to describe a period between AD 1350 and 1850 during which Europe and other regions neighboring the North Atlantic experienced unusually cold conditions. Periods of cooler conditions and expanded glaciation in Europe and regions outside of Europe made an impact on agriculture, health, the economy, social unrest, as well as art and literature. This presentation should clarify our claim that the Little Ice Age might be the cause of decreased plant growth, crop failures, and an increase in human and livestock mortality due to famine and illness at that time. Our presentation consists of three parts. Firstly, it will present the history of the Little Ice Age. Secondly, it will concentrate on a number of different aspects of everyday life and lifestyles which document climate changes during the Little Ice Age, when summers were shorter and cooler, while winters were longer and colder than normal. Finally, art will be given special attention, because the climate has been pictorially captured in paintings. The depiction of winter in graphic illustrations also provides a lot of information about the harsh climate conditions associated with the Little Ice Age. For instance, painters and paintings such as The Frozen Thames by Abraham Hondius or The Thames Frost Fair from the17th century show the frozen river Thames where frost fairs were held in winters between the 17th century and early 19th century. To sum up, this presentation will briefly explain the causes and consequences reflected in the living conditions of the cold period, while focusing on the Little Ice Age as a phenomenon which resulted in new activities such as curling, ice skating etc. Also, our thesis is that the Little Ice Age was closely connected to the art and literature of the time. This thesis will be supported through artworks which reflect these dramatic climate changes. There will be time for questions at the end of the talk.