Most paintings of Paris show the city in summer: café tables, the river in sunshine, the Eiffel Tower against a blue sky. My Love Letter to Paris 009 by Sergei Moskalev shows a quieter side of the city. A street lies under snow, wrapped in cool purples, while the buildings along it glow a warm golden yellow. Small figures walk along the pavement toward the light.
Key facts about the painting
- Title: My Love Letter to Paris 009
- Size: 32×70 cm (13×28 in), a long horizontal format
- Medium: oil and gold leaf on canvas
- Subject: a snow-covered Paris street on a winter day
- Series: My Love Letter to Paris, Sergei Moskalev’s collection of original Paris cityscapes
What you see in the painting
The palette is the first thing that stands out. The snow, the sky and the street are laid in lavender, violet and cool blue, so the whole scene reads as one cold winter day. Against that, the facades on the right are painted in warm golden yellow, and small touches of red, pink and orange pick out the figures and the details along the street.
The figures are small and loosely painted. They are not portraits: they are people moving through the cold toward the warmth of the buildings. The description on the painting’s page puts it well: the scene feels “both inviting and nostalgic, like wandering quiet streets bundled up against the cold.”
Oil, gold leaf and the palette knife
Sergei Moskalev was born in 1970 in Penza, Russia. He graduated from the Penza Art Studio in 1986 and went on to the Penza Art College, where he studied under Russian master painters. Later, while working with galleries in France and Spain, he mastered the palette knife, which he uses to make colors look “juicier” and cleaner. In 009 you can see broad, flat strokes in the snow and on the walls, laid side by side rather than blended.
Gold leaf is the other half of his method. In his own words: “Gold, for me, represents the paint that has always symbolized the sun. I aspire to have more rays of sunlight in my paintings.” In a winter scene that gold does real work: it is the warmth set against the cold. Gold leaf also catches light differently from paint, so the surface shifts a little as daylight moves through a room.
Where a 32×70 cm painting hangs well
The long horizontal format is what makes 009 practical. At 32 cm high and 70 cm wide, it fits the wide, shallow band of wall above a sofa, a sideboard or a bed, where a tall painting would crowd the space.
- Above a sideboard or console: a common rule of thumb is art about two thirds the width of the furniture, so 70 cm suits a piece around 100 to 110 cm wide.
- Above a bed: the low height leaves open wall between the headboard and the ceiling, so the painting does not feel heavy over the bed.
- Above a sofa: hang it with the lower edge roughly 20 to 25 cm above the back of the sofa. Over a long three-seat sofa it works as a focal point rather than filling the full width.
For more on choosing a size, see how to size a cityscape painting for your living room.
Two more Paris paintings from the series
009 is one of ten originals in My Love Letter to Paris. These two show the city in very different light.
My Love Letter to Paris 002 (90×110 cm, oil and gold leaf on canvas) paints the Arc de Triomphe in soft, cool tones, as if the monument were emerging from a quiet Paris morning. The sun breaks through the center of the arch and spills a warm glow down the avenue.
My Love Letter to Paris 007 (40×50 cm, oil and gold leaf on canvas) shows the Eiffel Tower under a sky of blue, purple and pink, the tower glowing as if lit from within.
Frequently asked questions
How big is My Love Letter to Paris 009?
It measures 32×70 cm (13×28 in), a long horizontal format.
What is the painting made with?
Oil and gold leaf on canvas.
Is it an original painting or a print?
It is an original painting from the My Love Letter to Paris series.
How do I ask about buying it?
Send an enquiry through the contact page or the form on the painting’s page, and ask about availability and delivery to your country.
If this winter street is the Paris you want on your wall, send an enquiry about My Love Letter to Paris 009.
