The artwork “River bank in winter” was created by Paul Gauguin around 1881 in Paris, France. Executed in oil on canvas, it belongs to the Impressionist movement and is categorized as a sketch and study. Presently, this piece is housed in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The artwork depicts a natural winter scene, likely that of a riverbank, caught in the dormant throes of the cold season. Gauguin’s brushwork is loose and expressive, typical of the Impressionist style, which sought to capture the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. The palette appears muted, embracing the chill of winter with cool blues and purples contrasted with the warmer tones of earth and the remnants of autumnal foliage. Barren trees dominate the composition, their twisted and bare branches reaching towards an overcast sky. The artwork communicates a raw immediacy, suggestive of a study done en plein air, where the artist paints outdoors to directly capture the essence of the moment. Gauguin’s use of texture and swift brushstrokes imbues the scene with a sense of movement and life, despite the stillness typically associated with winter landscapes.
