Frosted Trees Jonas Lie (1880-1940)

The canvas presents a wintry landscape dominated by a meandering stream cutting through a snow-covered terrain. The composition is structured around this waterway, which serves as a visual anchor and leads the eye into the receding distance. A palpable sense of cold permeates the scene; it’s not merely conveyed through the presence of snow but also through the muted color palette and the overall stillness of the environment.
Here we see a dense thicket of trees lining both banks of the stream, their branches heavily laden with frost or ice. The artist employed an impasto technique, particularly evident in the rendering of these trees, creating a tactile surface that emphasizes the texture of the frozen foliage. This textural quality contributes to the feeling of harshness and resilience characteristic of winter.
The color scheme is predominantly cool – various shades of blue-green are used for the water and reflected in the sky, while whites and grays define the snow cover. Subtle hints of brown and ochre appear within the tree trunks, providing a counterpoint to the prevailing coolness and suggesting underlying life beneath the frozen surface. The sky itself is rendered with broad strokes, hinting at cloud cover without explicitly defining its form; this adds to the atmosphere of quiet contemplation.
The stream’s surface isnt entirely frozen over; patches of open water reflect the muted light, creating a shimmering effect that introduces a degree of dynamism into an otherwise static scene. The artist has skillfully captured the interplay between light and shadow on the snow, suggesting depth and volume within the landscape.
Subtexts in this work might explore themes of isolation, endurance, and the beauty found in stark natural environments. The absence of human presence reinforces the feeling of solitude and invites a meditative response from the viewer. It’s possible to interpret the frozen stream as symbolic of stagnation or dormancy, while the resilient trees represent the persistence of life even under challenging conditions. Ultimately, the painting evokes a sense of quiet grandeur and the enduring power of nature.