The Forest in Winter
circa 1872-1873
Gustave Courbet brings the biting chill of a French winter to life in this snowy woodland scene, where two deer pause quietly by a dark, icy stream. The massive, gnarled tree in the foreground twists dramatically, its thick branches dusted with snow, while patches of pinkish brush add a surprising pop of color to the frozen landscape. As a pioneer of the Realist movement, Courbet rejected the overly dramatic, idealized nature of Romanticism, choosing instead to paint the rugged, unvarnished truth of the natural world. He famously used a palette knife to slap on thick layers of paint, giving the snow and bark a wonderfully chunky, tactile texture that makes you almost feel the cold.
- Technique
- Oil painting
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