Emile Claus – Frozen Leie in Winter Postcard

Winter rarely appears in Emile Claus's work, which makes this frost-held view along the Leie one of the rarest scenes in his catalogue. White, pale blue, and faint grey settle over frozen banks and still water alike; frost-covered trees on the left hold the cold in silvery outline, while a wide stretch of river or flooded meadow fills the middle ground, sky and water nearly the same tone. Only the confident horizontal of the bank gives away Claus's hand under all that quiet.

A good choice if your collection leans toward pale winter light rather than snowmen and sledges.