Volga. First snow

A snow-covered promontory with a jagged rock outcrop extends into a broad, glassy stretch of river, framed by dark tree-lined hills on both banks. A tiny figure stands at the very tip of the rock, dwarfed by the scale of the landscape, while bare rust-colored bushes and birches dot the slope leading down to the water.

Muted blues, violets and greys built up in layered, textured strokes convey the flat winter light of late afternoon, with warmer ochre patches of bare earth breaking through the snow. The river's smooth, reflective surface mirrors the overcast sky, lending the scene a hushed, contemplative winter stillness.