The Snowstorm
sometimes called
Winter
La nevada
1786 – 1787 Oil on linen
108 x 122 inches
275 cm x 293 cm
Museo del Prado Madrid Spain

Click to view 600 pixel-wide enlargement

The preliminary sketch for this painting (in the Everett D. Graff Collection in Chicago) depicts the figures with a single blanket for covering. These tapestry cartoons are usually said to have been used by the Spanish King (Charles III) to remind himself of the conditions of the Spanish poor.