02 March 2012

Winter song

Snowy Montreal from my kitchen window



The day after a snowstorm. Today's beautiful light and color palette reminded me of a classic Dutch painting, with snow. Google Images stayed quiet about my quest but the search engine led me to this painter: Louis Apol.

 A Winter Landscape with a Figure on a Path


 Figures by a Windmill in a Snow Covered Landscape


 Wood Gatherers on a Country Lane in Winter


 A Snow Covered Forest with a Bridge Across a Stream


 A Winter Landscape


 A Late Afternoon in Winter


 Figures in a Winter Landscape at Dusk


 Sneeuwlandschap


Winter Landscape Sun II


 Winter Landscape Sun


Winter View on a Canal Sun



Louis Apol (1850 – 1936) was a Dutch painter.

In 1880 he took part in an expedition on the ss Willem Barents to Spitsbergen (Nova Zembla) in the Polar Sea. Willem Barentsz (c. 1550 – 1597) was a Dutch navigator, cartographer, explorer and a leader of early expeditions to the far north.


The ship stranded on a reef. After throwing overboard all ballast, they managed to get the vessel off the reef, but the situation remained perilous.

The expedition was aborted and they sailed back.

For the artist, the impressions of this journey were a source of inspiration during his whole life.

He specialized in winterscapes. People/figures are seldom found in his paintings.




Beautiful and timeless Winter Song by Au Revoir Simone
on youtube through a funny minimalist fan clip!