Pieter Bruegel the Elder was famous for his depictions of scenes from peasant life and Hunters in the Snow is a prime example of his distinct style. Painted in 1565, this work belonged to a six-part series of landscape paintings that illustrated monthly and seasonal pursuits; although Bruegel’s series followed in the tradition of the previously popular Book of Hours, he left out the scenes of courtly life and focused on peasant activities. Hunters in the Snow has usually been linked to the month of December as the tasks depicted relate to the preparation for the winter feast, including cooking a pig and hunting. Bruegel excelled at capturing the atmospheric qualities of nature, and here he creates a crisp, frosty environment with bare branches, snow-covered hills and a cloudless sky. The somber palette of blacks, browns, and grays contrast sharply with the ubiquitous white snow and Bruegel’s ability with producing tonal harmony is evident. Traditionally Bruegel’s scenes were believed to be reflections of what the painter actually observed, however it is now accepted that his paintings, although optically accurate, were carefully constructed fantasy landscapes. For example, the jagged, rocky mountaintops do not belong to Flemish topography, but are derived from the artist’s sketches of the Alps. Bruegel designed a composition with a bird-eye’s perspective that used sharp diagonal lines to direct the viewer’s vision from the left foreground through the valley up the mountains to the distant horizon. Despite the vast landscape, the peasants’ daily activities are highlighted, including fire-building, hunting, cooking, and skating. In this lively scene, the artist skillfully explores the humanity’s interaction with nature. Digitized static image of Hunters in the Snow. ; 46 x 64 in.