Spring. Last snow 2. 1895 Isaac Ilyich Levitan (1860-1900)

The painting presents a landscape dominated by the transitional period between winter and spring. Here we observe a terrain where patches of lingering snow cling to the earth, juxtaposed against exposed soil and nascent vegetation. The color palette is restrained, primarily composed of earthy tones – ochres, browns, and muted yellows – that evoke a sense of dampness and thawing.
The foreground features a small body of water, likely a stream or pond, its surface reflecting the overcast sky above. Around this waters edge, the ground rises in gentle undulations, covered with remnants of snow that appear almost sculptural in their form. The application of paint is thick and impastoed, particularly noticeable on the snowdrifts, which creates textural depth and a sense of physicality.
In the middle ground, a line of trees forms the horizon. Their trunks are bare, but hints of emerging foliage can be discerned through the use of lighter brushstrokes. The artist has rendered these trees with a degree of abstraction, suggesting rather than defining individual forms. This contributes to an overall feeling of atmospheric perspective and distance.
The composition is characterized by its horizontality, emphasizing the vastness of the landscape. A dark band runs along the top edge of the canvas, effectively cropping the sky and drawing attention to the earthbound scene.
Subtly, the painting conveys a mood of quiet contemplation. The absence of human presence reinforces this sense of solitude and invites reflection on the cyclical nature of seasons and the gradual renewal of life. The lingering snow serves as a visual reminder of winters grip while simultaneously signaling the promise of spring’s arrival – a moment suspended between two distinct states. The overall effect is one of understated beauty, capturing a fleeting and ephemeral moment in time.