Partridges in the snow by Józef Chełmoński - 1891 - 123 × 199 cm National Museum in Warsaw Partridges in the snow by Józef Chełmoński - 1891 - 123 × 199 cm National Museum in Warsaw

Partridges in the snow

Oil on canvas • 123 × 199 cm
  • Józef Chełmoński - November 7, 1849 - April 6, 1914 Józef Chełmoński 1891

This is one of my favorite paintings in Polish art. 

The painting depicts a flock of partridges in the snow. The birds are depicted with incredible realism and vivid detail; the drawing is sharp, precise, and true to nature. This is surprising, as these are exceptionally timid creatures, difficult to approach. A cold wind ruffles their feathers, and the sky nearly merges with the ground. The composition relies on the contrast between a large expanse rendered in varying shades of white and the small, dark silhouettes of birds.

Józef Chełmoński was a Polish painter of the Realist school. In 1875 (a year after the first Impressionist exhibition), Chełmoński went to Paris, where he had many important exhibitions and became known to the art scene. Toward the end of his life, he leaned toward viewing nature as a pantheistic emanation of God. Some scholars interpret Partridges in the snow as a metaphor for struggles against adversity, while others see it as a testament to the artist’s talent and technical mastery.

In 1888, after years spent in Munich and Paris, Józef Chełmoński returned to his homeland. He purchased the Kuklówka estate near Grodzisk Mazowiecki, where he fulfilled a longtime dream of being close to nature. Here, he painted outdoors, walked through fields and forests, and sketched. He had a reputation as a recluse who was “close to the world, yet distant from people.”

P.S. This painting is featured in our Animals 50 Postcards Set, which is a perfect collection of masterpieces for animal lovers, and in this year's Monthly Wall Calendar as well!  :) 

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