Winter 1903

Igor Grabar made this painting, Winter, with oils sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. What strikes me most is his amazing ability to capture the feeling of cold through colour. Look at the way he builds up the surface with short, choppy brushstrokes. The paint is thick, almost sculptural, giving the snow a palpable, weighty presence. Notice how the blues and purples in the shadows create a sense of depth and chill. The whole painting is an exercise in how to use a limited palette to create a sense of atmosphere. Then there's the small detail of the thatched roof weighed down with snow, rendered with a few confident strokes of white and grey. It really brings the piece to life. It puts me in mind of some of Courbet's snow scenes - the same attention to the materiality of paint, and an earthy, grounded sensibility. It's like Grabar is showing us how the conversation between artists continues, each building on what came before, offering their own unique perspective.