These four works are painted by the German artist Johann Gustav Lange (1811-1887).

This pretty unknown German artist loved to paint the winter scenery in Germany. His works contain some people for scale, but he is primarily is interested in the winter view, with the bare trees, and the magic white snow blanket covering the landscape. His trees look like little ornamental artworks by themselves.

Looking at the rest of his works, he must either have loved the winter, because most of his works were snowy scenes. Or maybe he loved the summer and preferred to put in his work during the winter months?

His works sell typically for less than $1000.

 The spirit of the winter. These four works are painted by

How would you describe the mood in this painting?

Winter Night. Figure on the Bridge (1888) was made by the Hungarian painter and philosopher László Mednyánszky (1852-1919).

It shows a lonely figure on a bridge in the middle of the night. The water is frozen and the trees are covered by snow.

It is a beautiful display of the effects of the moonlight on the landscape, but he also is able to create a certain mood in this painting. How would you describe it? Contemplative, lonely, desolate, something else?

 How would you describe the mood in this painting? Winter

This painting is a national icon in Norway!

Skiing Birchlegs Crossing the Mountain with the Royal Child by Knud Berglien shows two heroic rebels saving the Norwegian Prince Haakon IV which would lead to the end of the Norwegian civil war in 1240.

 This painting is a national icon in Norway! Skiing

L'Inverno (the winter) was painted by Édouard Bisson (1856-1949), who loved to capture the seasons in allegorical ways with his beautiful flowing lines and charming subjects.

Bisson studied at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris, the most prestigious art academy available at that time. He studied under Jean-Léon Gerome (1824-1904), who was a very successful artist at that time. Bisson was one of Gerome’s most gifted students, which shows in his paintings which mostly ended up in private collections.

 Winter can be charming! L'Inverno (the winter) was painted

Sunset over the Winter Forest (1881) was created by Heinrich Gogarten (1850-1911), a German landscape painter specialized in wintry scenes.

Through the bare forest trees, we can see the blood red and orange colors of the sun, which are reflected on the frozen stream. Nobody is around in this forest, except a few crows. And while the sunset usually provides a beautiful moment, this work may also evoke some ominous feelings. Let me know what you think of it.

 Mesmerizing or unsettling? Sunset over the Winter Forest

Street in the Evening, Prague (1875) by Jakub Schikaneder (1855-1924) shows a quiet street on a snowy evening.

Lit up by the gaslights, the 20-year old Schikaneder has captured a nostalgic scene. While the snow is falling down, a few people are walking along the narrow street. And if you have ever walked outside in the snow in a quiet environment, you will recognize how soothing and quiet the sounds are, as the snow absorbs part of the sounds. If you keep looking at this painting, you may hear those squeaking or creaking sounds of footsteps in the snow...

 How would you describe the mood in this painting? Street in

Holly twigs and wreaths have been used as Christmas decoration in Western cultures since the Middle Ages.

Season's Greetings from a century ago by Paul Émile Vernon (1872-1920) is a nice illustration of their decorative role.

Vernon was a French artist best known for his bright-colored paintings of women and children.

 Holly twigs and wreaths have been used as Christmas

Norwegian painter Hans Gude painted this idealized Winter Afternoon in 1847 at age 22.

 Winter can be pretty! Norwegian painter Hans Gude painted

Saint Eulalia (1885) was painted by John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) and shows the death of the young Christian martyr Eulalia of Mérida in the 304 AD.

It is a cruel scene with the body of the 12-year old Eulalia of Mérida in the foreground. She was living in Spain at a time that Christianity was forbidden by the ruling Romans. One day, Eulalia ran away to the law court of the governor Dacian and told them that she was a Christian. She proceeded to insult the Roman gods and the emperor and challenged the authorities to martyr her. At first they tried to avoid that, but eventually they did torture her and burnt her at the stake where she died from smoke inhalation.

When she died a dove flew out of her mouth, explaining the presence of all the doves in this painting. Moreover, it started to snow which allowed her naked body to be covered. Waterhouse has included that snow, but decided to also show her nakedness.

The painting shows how the Roman soldiers are preventing bystanders to approach her body, leaving it dramatically exposed in the foreground.

 A martyr in the snow. Saint Eulalia (1885) was painted by

White Horse Inn by Moonlight (1851) was painted by the Dutch-Canadian artist Cornelius Krieghoff (1815-1872).

It shows how a horse-drawn sleigh arrives at a country inn. It is the middle of a dark night, but the moonlight brightly reflects on the snowy landscape. The horses will get some well-deserved rest after the long trip and the passengers can stay for the night in this idyllic inn.

It’s the Canadian landscape and the stark contrast between light and dark (white and black) that make this painting unique compared to many other landscape paintings created in different countries.

 A romantic winter scene. White Horse Inn by Moonlight

Woods in the Snow was painted by Peder Mørk Mønsted (1859–1941), a Danish artist painting landscapes in a realistic style.

Depending on where you live, you may be seeing a snowy scene out of your window today, wish for a beautiful day with fresh snow, or maybe you prefer to see the snow only on paintings and photos?

Mønsted captured his landscapes with wonderful attention to detail and atmosphere, which you can see by looking at the thick layer of fresh snow on the branches in the foreground. Given that he came from Denmark, he had more opportunities than most of us to capture these snowy landscapes.

And the man and the horse? They are just gathering wood, because that's what people needed to stay warm with this weather.

 Would you like to be in this forest? Woods in the Snow was

Christmas in Madison Square Park by Paul Cornoyer (1864-1923) is a beautiful impression of a large outdoor Christmas tree full of lights in the middle of a snowy park.

It was painted by Paul Cornoyer, an American Impressionist from St. Louis, MO where he went to study art at the St. Louis School of Art. He was so talented though that the director of the school noticed and got him a grant to do his art studies in Paris, the art capital of the world at that time. There, Cornoyer was influenced by the Impressionist, which we can see back in his work. He returned to the United States, where he painted street scenes and landscapes in this style.

 Merry Christmas! Christmas in Madison Square Park by Paul

Am Hof Place, Vienna, in Winter by Ludwig Rösch (1865-1936) is a beautiful painting of one of the oldest and most historical squares in Vienna.

The building on the right is the Kirche am Hof, a Catholic church built between 1386 and 1403 , though the main facade that we see here was not built until 1662. And on the left is the Mariensäule, a 17th-century column with a statue of Mary on top.

The snow and the lack of bright colors make this scene into a mysterious and magical one, something Rösch did more often in his works.

 The beauty of 19th-century Vienna. Am Hof Place, Vienna, in

Winter Landscape was painted by the Russian artist Ivan Aivazovsky (1817-1900).

It shows a serene winter landscape, and Aivazovsky convincingly captures the powdery snow weighing down the branches. In the center of the painting are two figures walking down the path, dwarfed by their impressive surroundings. And there even seem to be some more shadowy figures in the background.

As with many great landscape paintings, the artist has been able to capture a certain mood. It looks calm and serene, but also sad and lonely, even melancholic. Different people probably see different things in it, so I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

The work sold in 2008 for more than $750,000.

Are you looking forward to winter weather or not?

Sledding is a beautiful oil painting by Hans Zatzka (1859-1945).

The seasons have always provided inspiration for artists. Just a few random famous examples include Botticelli, Bruegel, Monet, and Van Gogh.