Winter in art

Winter landscapes have inspired numerous artists of all ages and the charm of snowy scenery has also been portrayed by famous painters such as Friedrich, Van Gogh, Goya, Bruegel, Monet, Pissarro and many others. In essence, winter is represented in art in all its forms and today, thanks to the passion of so many artists for this season, we can admire priceless paintings, such as the following ones.

The Magpie by Claude Monet

Painted in 1860 in open air, Claude Monet's "The magpie" is a richly coloured canvas that warms up the snowy landscape Monet depicted in this masterpiece. The viewer can see a magpie bathed in sunlight which has settled on a wooden gate. The snow depicted by Monet surrounds everything around this bird and the artist has painted the snow in a particularly realistic manner in this painting. The painting is on display at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

Winter landscape with church by David Caspar Friedrich

Here we are talking about two works as the German painter, who was one of the leading exponents of Romanticism, created two versions of this painting. One of the two canvases is kept in the National Gallery in London, while the second can be seen in the Museum Für Kunst Und Kulturgeschichte in Dortmund, Germany. The German artist loved to depict solitary landscapes in the cold and snow, depictions in which one can observe various symbols linked to the spiritual world, as in this case. Indeed, in “Winter Landscape with Church” the artist also emphasised his inclination towards the spiritual world through the representation of the church, the rocks and the abandoned crutches.

Chestnut trees at Louveciennes by Camille Pissarro

“Chestnut trees at Louveciennes” is an Impressionist painting made in 1871 by Camille Pissarro, currently on display at the Muséed'Orsay. Like so many other paintings by this artist, it depicts a humble scene, with a landscape depicting a view of a village made up of old houses, fields and vegetable gardens. As in Pissarro's other works, in “Chestnut trees at Louveciennes” the painter has skilfully used light and shade, choices that enhance the beauty of the winter landscape.

Miners in the Snow by Vincent Van Gogh

Van Gogh also liked to depict everyday scenes and in this case the artist decided to represent a group of precarious workers: the miners. Painted in 1880, this masterpiece is also an act of protest against the exploitation of miners and was created just after a violent explosion occurred in the Agrippe mine where more than 100 workers lost their lives.

Snowy Weather at Veneux-Nadon by Alfred Sisley

Like his colleagues Monet and Pissarro, Sisley also loved to paint the seasons and, in the painting Snowy Weather at Veneux-Nadonthe artist depicted a winter landscape with a cloudy sky and through this canvas you can see Sisley's mastery of the perfect combination of colours.

These are just a few of the masterpieces in which we can see enchanting winter landscapes of the past, but the list is still long. Paul Gauguin, Marc Chagall, Edvard Munch, Francisco Goya and other illustrious names also appreciated the charm of winter and left us valuable works.

Article by: Aurora Caraman