A broad overcast sky fills the upper half of this wide winter panorama, resting on a band of dark trees along a low, flat horizon. Below, patches of snow and dry grass over brown earth lead the eye back toward the distant forest in loose horizontal bands.

The light is flat and diffused, with no harsh shadows and a damp, hazy atmosphere. Chalky snow sits thick over thinner translucent washes, and dry-brush strokes in the grasses give it the feel of a plein-air sketch. There are no people, buildings or animals, only the muted stillness of the marsh.