5. H. Sprengholz

H. Sprengholz

Winter Landscape with a Stream, 1934

Oil on hardboard, measuring 80 x 117 cm or 104 x 138 cm.

Signed in the lower left corner. H. Sprengholz / 34

The composition and palette of this work are strikingly reminiscent of the winter scenes painted by Paul Weimann (1867–1945), a Jelenia Góra-based artist who specialized in winter landscapes.

A river flows through the centre of the composition, dividing it into two parts. Snow-covered banks are visible on both sides. The left side is sparsely overgrown, while the right side features numerous coniferous trees. The trees in the foreground are covered in snow and dominate the painting. The forest stretches towards the horizon, gradually dissolving into the greyish sky. In the background, a forest path with sleigh tracks is visible.

The color palette gives the painting the atmosphere of a grey winter’s day. The paint has been applied in thin layers with careful attention to the details in the foreground.
In the lower left corner is the artist’s signature: H. Sprengholz.