Getting cold. Autumn on the Oka River near Tarusa. 1893

Vasily Polenov painted this evocative landscape of the Oka River near Tarusa, capturing the melancholy of autumn. The river, a symbol of life's ceaseless flow, dominates the scene, its waters reflecting the muted sky. The motif of the river is ancient, seen across cultures—from the Nile in Egyptian art, representing fertility and cyclical renewal, to the rivers in classical mythology, like the Styx, marking the boundary between worlds. Here, the Oka is not vibrant but subdued, mirroring the autumnal decline. This recalls similar representations of nature's decay in Northern Renaissance art, where landscapes became vehicles for conveying moral messages about mortality. The muted colors and somber atmosphere stir a sense of introspection, tapping into our collective memory of seasonal change and the inevitable passage of time. Such imagery has a powerful, subconscious hold on us, engaging our deepest feelings about loss and renewal. The image evokes a sense of melancholy, and invites the viewer to contemplate the cyclical nature of life and nature.