Lake Reflections

Snow-covered mountains rise above a perfectly still blue lake, meeting their reflections along a narrow band of mist. The central summit appears almost symmetrical, though clouds soften the lower half and small changes in light distinguish the real ridge from its mirror. The limited palette gives the picture a clean, wintry calm.

Snow-covered ridges point upward above the mist and downward in the lake, so the direction of a slope can locate otherwise similar white fragments. The reflected peaks are a little darker. A pale strip of mist divides both mountain ranges near the center, with a nearly unbroken line through the blue. There are few foreground objects to interrupt the symmetry. Fine changes of shade therefore matter across the open sky and water, especially on larger tables.