The Eastern Station Under The Snow 1917

Here's a painting by Maximilien Luce of the Eastern Station Under The Snow. I can almost smell the oil paint, mixed with the cold winter air. Look at the surface, the impasto of the flakes dancing with a controlled frenzy. I bet Luce stood there, battling the elements himself, capturing the scene with thick strokes of blues, grays, and muted reds. You can sense the chaos of a busy station, but the falling snow brings with it a palpable stillness. He must have been thinking of Monet, maybe even Turner, but he's very much his own man here, grounding the Impressionist style with a dose of reality. What strikes me most is the emotional weather of the piece. The surface is built with layers, each one telling a part of the story.