Pekka Halonen: Autumn Ice

In Autumn Ice (1900), Pekka Halonen (1865–1933) captured a late-autumn view of a lake that was gradually freezing over. He painted it on the shore of Lake Tuusula, where he would have his studio home, Halosenniemi, built in the early years of the twentieth century. The views of the lake, which changed with the seasons, were an endless source of inspiration for Halonen. He was particularly fond of depicting the winter in Tuusula, with the snowy trees of the surrounding forest and ice-covered lake. Like most wintry scenes by Halonen, Autumn Ice relies on a simple composition and a limited colour palette. The artist has used subdued, blended tones of grey, white and blue, which vividly convey the chill of the early winter’s day.