Who painted L'Hiver à Paris (Winter in Paris)?

L'Hiver à Paris (Winter in Paris) was painted by Félix-Hilaire Buhot in 1879.

Where can I see L'Hiver à Paris (Winter in Paris)?

L'Hiver à Paris (Winter in Paris) is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is L'Hiver à Paris (Winter in Paris)?

L'Hiver à Paris (Winter in Paris) is associated with Impressionism.

Artwork

L'Hiver à Paris (Winter in Paris)

Félix-Hilaire Buhot , 1879

L'Hiver à Paris (Winter in Paris) is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Félix-Hilaire Buhot. It dates from 1879 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Félix‑Hilaire Buhot’s print L’Hiver à Paris, completed in 1879, depicts a bustling winter scene on a Parisian street.

About this work

Overview

Félix‑Hilaire Buhot’s print L’Hiver à Paris, completed in 1879, depicts a bustling winter scene on a Parisian street.

Félix‑Hilaire Buhot’s print L’Hiver à Paris, completed in 1879, depicts a bustling winter scene on a Parisian street. The composition is crowded with bundled pedestrians, horse‑drawn carriages, and lively dogs, while the facades of tall buildings are marked by shop signs for a butcher, a café and other trades. Small vignette‑like sketches are tucked into the margins, giving the work a layered, almost collage‑like quality.

Subject & Meaning

The image captures the gritty reality of urban life during a cold, snowy day, emphasizing the collective endurance of the city’s inhabitants. By juxtaposing the hurried movement of people and animals with the static presence of shop fronts, the print conveys both the vitality and the hardships of Parisian winter, suggesting a communal resilience amid the season’s harshness.

Technique & Style

Buhot employed a combination of etching, aquatint, spit‑bite, soft‑ground etching, drypoint and scraping to achieve a range of textures. Sharp linear marks define figures and architectural outlines, while soft, tonal washes render the falling snow and atmospheric depth. The heavy wove paper, bearing signs of wear, adds a tactile sense of age and repeated handling, reinforcing the work’s atmospheric density.

History & Provenance

Created in the late nineteenth century, L’Hiver à Paris reflects the period’s interest in urban realism and the technical possibilities of printmaking. The work remains in the collections of several European museums, where it is cited as an example of Buhot’s experimental approach to etching and his keen observation of contemporary city life.