Frost by Hugo Simberg (Interpretation and Analysis)

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Frost
Source: Wikimedia Commons
It’s around this time of the year that we start seeing frost on the ground, so, in honor of this change in weather, I’d like to share a painting called Frost.

The piece was created by Hugo Simberg, one of Finland’s most famous painters. He was a member of the symbolist movement, an artistic movement that sought to expressive higher truths through art. Simberg revels in strange and supernatural subjects, and his work typically has an otherworldly and melancholic aura.

Frost is no exception. The painting depicts a pale, goblin-like creature who blows gusts of cold air out of a cavernous mouth. The creature perches on a hay stack with a mountainous landscape in the background. A huge orange sun sinks down behind the hills.

The piece obviously symbolizes oncoming winter. The haystacks in the field references the end of autumn, while the frost itself represents winter. It follows in a long tradition of Western artwork that personifies the seasons. Winter is typically personified as an old, grizzled man; Simberg modifies this trope slightly, creating a bizarre creature to personify oncoming winter.

It is a hugely expressive piece, colorful and full of energy. The painting makes use of a loose painterly style that conveys a wild and uncontained natural power. Nothing could better represent the cold, harsh winter.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

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