The Golden Reindeer

About this work

Silver-white against the night, the reindeer stands among pale birch trunks in the snow, its great antlers branching upwards in gold leaf. Around the scene runs an arched Art Nouveau frame in navy, edged with fir branches and fine gold lines, so the forest is seen as if through a decorative window. The white of the animal and the birches gives the picture a cool, bright core, while the gold antlers and lines add warmth. Snowflakes are scattered throughout and catch the light like tiny sparks. From across a room the arch and the antlers are what you notice; close to, the patterns in the frame and the separate flakes appear. The mood is calm, a little magical and thoroughly wintry.

Alphonse Mucha, the Czech artist who shaped the look of Art Nouveau in Paris in the 1890s, often set his figures inside arches, halos and frames of plants and fine line. This work borrows that framing for a winter scene. It is Mucha-inspired, not a copy of any poster. The reindeer has its own long place in Christmas tradition. Reindeer have been herded in the far north of Europe for centuries, and since the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas appeared in 1823, they have pulled the Christmas sleigh across the night sky.

It celebrates winter rather than one date, so it can stay on the wall from the first frost to the first spring days. Try it in a child's room, a hallway or a living room, on deep blue, pale grey or white walls. A slim silver or pewter frame suits the silver-white reindeer, and brushed gold brings out the antlers. Cool daylight keeps the snow crisp, while a warm lamp at night makes the gold glow. A large print suits a chimney breast; a medium one fits beside a child's bed. Complete the Winter Night in Gold set with Golden Christmas Eve and Snow Lanterns. At 300 dpi it prints sharply to roughly 75 cm on the long edge.