The king of all snow scenes is by Flemish painter Pieter Brueghel the Elder. There are fundamental difficulties that come with depicting snow – it needs to hint at depth, texture and coldness to evoke that overall «brrr» feeling. This wonderful Renaissance panel isn’t festive or idyllic however – there is not a snowman or filigree snowflake to be seen. Brueghel was commissioned by a merchant from Antwerp to create the painting, just one from a series of six, to reflect the labours of the months. In the far corner we see some hunters returning with lacklustre pickings from their day of hunting (just one rabbit does not a Christmas dinner make). It’s an exhausting scene – people scavenge and toil, but skaters also skid with joy, a contrast that is both compelling and powerful. There is a sense of the stresses and expectations of winter, as they trudge leaving man-hole sized footprints in their wake. It is interesting that art history’s most recognisable snow scene is one of melancholy – but there is truth as well. With winter comes the biting freezing cold. And no one likes the cold.