André Barbier French, 1883-1970
Description
The Seine fills the foreground, its green-grey surface broken by drifting sheets of ice rendered in irregular, pale strokes. On the right, a narrow, snow-covered embankment curves into the picture, lined with slender trees whose dark trunks and sparse branches lean towards the water. Beyond the river, the west front of Notre-Dame emerges through a veil of winter haze. The towers and central façade are softened and partially obscured by the diffused light. The composition is structured around the broad horizontal of the river, countered by the vertical accents of the trees and cathedral towers. Paint is applied in thin, lightly scumbled layers, with thicker touches describing the floating ice. Executed during the artist’s engagement with Parisian river views in winter, Notre-Dame de Paris sous la Neige forms part of a sustained exploration of the city’s monuments under shifting seasonal conditions.