Vasily Polenov is a lyric painter which means he wants to take us to a place that elicits some emotion or feeling response. Here, there is no high drama, but a calm winter day with lots of space. But to feel something, we have to linger a bit. We're in such a hurry; the idea of lingering or pondering may feel strange, even wasteful. Perhaps the closest we ever get to it is the calm considering of a sleeping infant. Our culture doesn't seem to invite any feeling except perhaps the feeling that I need to buy the advertised product with its happy promises.
Lingering here in this winter scene, for a few moments perhaps, we can forget our problems, anxieties and disappointments. Even winter is beautiful. Polenov had bought an estate at Bekhovo, near the Oka River, so he could live more closely to nature. We might think of the American naturalist Henry David Thoreau and his attempts to live apart. And while Polenov designed his home at Bekhovo, he also had workshops built for fellow artists. This winter scene might suggest how pleased Polenov was with his decision to live where the world was still natural and beautiful. Look at that sky! Do you feel the calm solitude?
We see the edge of a forest that seems to sleep. To the right is a snow-covered berm. We see the path which weaves through the hillside. One path opens a little below where we stand. There are no cars — the lines in the path have been made by sled runners. To the left there is a snow covered field with yellow grasses sticking up through the snow. I remember being struck by that precise scene (yellow grass in snow) along my winter seminary walks. While climate is undeniably changing, many of us will remember deep snow and the fresh scent of winter.
There are a number of buildings here. Is this a farm owned by one farming family or a cluster of families? There are two people standing together at the top of the path leading up to the house. How do we know they are farmers? In the middle of the painting there is a large dung heap and a smaller one to the left. These manure piles have been excavated, probably from the autumn, when manure is spread over fields.
And who is this all bundled up and approaching by horse drawn sled? Maybe he's bringing provisions from town. His arrival seems to have been anticipated, as the couple is waiting outside. Cabin fever relief! There's a wisp of smoke coming out of the chimney. It's warm inside. Hospitality is the greatest expression of love.
