Kunstläufer.

Title

Kunstläufer.

The picture shows six people ice skating or figure skating on the ice.

ca. 1890

Artist

Anonymus

Historical Description

Figure skating is one of the oldest ice sports, with roots in Scandinavia and the Netherlands. As early as the 13th century, people in Northern Europe used flat bones as skates to glide across frozen lakes, focusing initially on movement rather than aesthetics. In the 18th century, ice skating began to develop as a recreational activity in the Netherlands and England. Early figures and turns were introduced as a form of artistic expression. In the 19th century, Jackson Haines, an American dancer and figure skater, combined ballet and dance movements with ice skating, marking the beginning of modern artistic figure skating. Figure skating became part of the Olympic Games—first in 1908 as a summer sport, and later in 1924 in the Winter Games. Disciplines such as men’s and women’s singles, pair skating, and ice dance were established. Today, figure skating is popular worldwide as both a competitive and recreational sport, with modern competitions emphasizing technique, jumps, spins, and artistic interpretation.