The artwork titled “Harvesting Ice,” created by Carl Larsson in 1905 in Sweden, is a watercolor on paper exemplifying the Art Nouveau (Modern) movement. This landscape piece depicts a serene winter scene where laborers are engaged in the process of collecting ice blocks, a practice common in rural Sweden during this period.
In the artwork, the foreground features a wooden tripod structure, possibly used for lifting ice blocks, painted with intricate details. The background is an expansive, snow-covered landscape under a pastel sky, where workers can be seen laboring with a horse-drawn sled, transporting the harvested ice. The soft hues of the setting sun cast a gentle light across the scene, enhancing the tranquil atmosphere. The distant hills and bare trees further accentuate the vastness of the winter landscape. Carl Larsson’s application of watercolor brings a delicate and ethereal quality to the painting, capturing the essence of the serene yet industrious rural winter setting.
