Autumn

A bald man in a white cloak leads a large red ox by a chain, its horns catching the light, a dog trotting alongside. Behind follow two hooded figures in dark blue and mustard robes, one carrying bare thorny branches, crossing a carpet of fallen autumn leaves under leafless trees beneath a pale moon.

Deep brown and black shadows dominate the canvas, broken by the vivid red of the ox's hide and the stark white of the leading figure's cloak. Thick, tightly modelled paint describes the folds of drapery and animal hide with academic precision, while the low, warm light and processional arrangement of figures give the scene a solemn, theatrical weight.