Matthew Wilson studied History of Art at the Courtauld Institute and has taught the subject in secondary schools in the UK for over a decade. As a freelance writer he has also written for numerous publications, including the BBC, Aesthetica Magazine and Smarthistory – the world’s most-used art historical resource. His latest book, Symbols in Art (Thames & Hudson, Autumn 2020), was described by Christopher Lloyd, former keeper of the Queen's pictures, as “masterly … the perfect introduction to a subject that can only heighten the general appreciation of art.” He is currently working on a new title, also on the subject of iconography, due for publication in 2022.

This is a Christmas-themed talk about snow in art, based on a handful of famous examples from global history. Snow is not a natural subject for art. It is not beautiful – it is cold, wet and a hazard to the injury prone. It is also a challenge to represent in paintings. White is blank and depthless, so suggesting form and space in a snowy landscape is extremely difficult. Matthew explains the historical factors that allowed snow to become a subject in art in the 1400s in the western world, and about how artists overcame the challenges presented by snowy landscapes.