Snow-covered Landscape

Unlike the other Impressionist artists, Renoir seldom painted snow scenes. Although a steady source of inspiration to his contemporaries, Renoir described snow as "Mother Nature's leprosy." He makes a valiant effort in this painting, however. Here, the snow is not omnipresent; rather, it reflects the bluish sky and absorbs the shadow of the greenish, rust-colored stand of trees that occupies a large portion of the scene, in the background of which emerge the buildings of the nearby town.