Melting Snow 1910

Vilhelms Purvitis made this painting with oil on canvas, and you can almost feel the chill in the air just by looking at it. The brushstrokes are chunky, layered, like icy clumps, especially in the foreground. I imagine Purvitis standing there, trying to capture the fleeting moment as the seasons transition. What's fascinating is how he uses these cool blues and whites, not just to represent snow and ice, but also to hint at the warmer tones underneath, like the promise of spring just around the corner. There is a sense of longing in this painting. The way the light plays on the water and reflects off the melting ice floes reminds me a bit of Monet's impressionistic landscapes, but with a Northern European sensibility. Painting is an ongoing experiment and conversation, and this painter takes up a particular and special place within it.