Snow Storm

Anton Mauve was one of the leading painters of the Hague School, a group known for its interest in recording the natural effects of light and atmosphere. Mauve particularly excelled in rendering the profound silence and desolation of winter and often painted directly from nature – en plein air or outdoors – to capture the nuances of his favorite season. It seems likely that the Oberlin picture was painted on the spot, considering its modest size, swift brushwork, and the fact that the painted design extends beyond the edges of the original canvas stretcher. The modest winter scene set with an almost monochromatic palette is suffused with a silvery light, adding a delicate, lyrical quality to the picture.