Winter in Amsterdam
Snow transforms the city into monochrome
February 07, 2021
Canals and bridges
Snow and gray skies merge Amsterdam’s canals into a monochrome study. Bikes lean against railings, half-buried. Dark water reflects bare trees and bridge arches in silver tones.
Snow falling
Snowflakes blur foreground and background into layers of gray. People move through streets reduced to silhouettes, the city stripped to basic shapes.
The IJ in winter
Heavy weather moves across the IJ waterfront. Modern apartment blocks fade into white sky, boats sit dark against churning water. Wind shapes snow into curves and ridges along the shore.
The river shore loses definition in snowfall. Industrial cranes and construction sites become vague forms, the boundary between water and sky erased by the gray colors.
Silver city
The combination of snow and gray skies drains color from the city. Brick facades turn pale brown, canal water becomes metallic. Details emerge only close up—a tilted street lamp, a snow-covered railing, the geometry of canal houses against flat sky.