Winter Landscape 1902

Jacek Malczewski painted this winter landscape in 1902, and it feels like he made it quickly, alla prima, wet on wet. It’s all about capturing a moment, a feeling, more than getting every detail right. The colors are muted, earthy – browns, creams, grays – like a day when the sun's hiding. Look at the fence, how the brushstrokes are loose and free, just suggesting the texture of the wood. Then there's the building in the back, almost melting into the sky with these soft, hazy edges. There's this black blob in the foreground, which you then realize is a dog, as if it has been added as an afterthought. Malczewski's got this way of making you feel like you're right there, shivering in the cold, but also noticing the quiet beauty of it all. It reminds me a bit of Vilhelm Hammershøi, that same sense of stillness and quiet observation. Ultimately, it’s about letting the paint do its thing and finding the magic in the everyday.