Four small children in red, charcoal, cream and ochre coats walk hand in hand up a winding, rutted snow track, one carrying a lantern, another a wrapped gift and a sprig of evergreen. Ahead, a cottage with glowing windows and a wreathed door sits on a rise, its chimney sending up a thin curl of smoke.

White picket fences hung with evergreen garlands and red ribbon bows, snow-laden firs and tall bare trees frame the scene under a large pale moon and a scatter of stars. The palette is dusty taupe, cream and faded brick red, rendered in a vintage folk-art style with a woven linen, stitched texture that gives the night a quiet, nostalgic warmth.