Artwork
New Snow
New Snow is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Edvard Munch. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the Munch Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1900, *New Snow* is an oil painting by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The work presents a winter forest scene, where snow-laden pine trees line a faint path that disappears into the distance. The composition is dominated by cool tones, with dark greens and blues of the foliage contrasting against the bright white of the snow and a pale blue sky.
Subject & Meaning
The painting captures a quiet, wintry landscape, emphasizing the weight of snow on the trees and the subtle suggestion of a journey into the forest’s interior. Munch’s focus on the interplay of light, shadow, and the heavy, unevenly balanced trunks conveys a mood of stillness tinged with an underlying tension, reflecting his broader interest in the emotional resonance of natural settings.
Technique & Style
Executed with loose, rapid brushwork, the surface of *New Snow* reveals visible, gestural strokes that give the impression of hastily applied paint.
Executed with loose, rapid brushwork, the surface of *New Snow* reveals visible, gestural strokes that give the impression of hastily applied paint. The palette relies on muted blues and greens for the trees, while the snow is rendered in stark white, creating a vivid contrast. The handling of paint suggests a near‑impasto approach, allowing the texture of the medium to enhance the sense of depth and atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Munch completed the piece after his studies at the Royal School of Art and Design in Oslo, during a period when he was refining his personal visual language. *New Snow* entered the collection of the Munch Museum, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of the artist’s work.
Artist & collection
Artist
Edvard Munch ( MUUNK; Norwegian: ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter.
