Artwork
Horse Team and a St. Bernhard in the Snow
Horse Team and a St. Bernhard in the Snow is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1923 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1923, this oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch depicts a wintry scene in which two horses and a St. Bernard dog share the snowy landscape. The composition places the animals in motion, their heads turned toward one another, while a distant figure and modest buildings linger in the background, suggesting a quiet, rural setting.
Subject & Meaning
The work focuses on the interaction between the two horses—one dark, one light—and the reclining St. Bernard, whose gaze meets the animals. The juxtaposition of movement and stillness, as well as the contrast of dark and light tones, invites contemplation of companionship, endurance, and the starkness of a cold environment.
Technique & Style
Executed with oil on canvas, Munch employs bold brushstrokes and a vivid palette that heightens the sense of kinetic energy. The handling of light on snow and the textured surface reflect his post‑impressionist leanings, while the expressive rendering of the figures underscores his ongoing interest in psychological depth.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the collection of the Munch Museum, the institution devoted to preserving Munch’s oeuvre. It remains part of the museum’s permanent holdings, where it is displayed alongside other works that trace the artist’s development from his early studies at Oslo’s Royal School of Art and Design to his later, more expressive period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
