Winter has long captivated artists as both subject and symbol. Across five centuries, painters have captured snow and cold through meticulous realism, allegorical symbolism, and scenes of everyday life. Medieval monks illuminated frozen landscapes in devotional manuscripts. Dutch masters observed city gates softened by fresh snow. American painters filled urban ice rinks with movement and color.
From solitary deer in silent forests to crowds of skaters gliding across frozen ponds, these nine paintings reveal how artists have seen winter: as hardship and celebration, stillness and energy, isolation and communion.
