I love this painting. It’s about something totally tragic, a horrible killing in a winter village, but it’s painted with vivacity and even energy that is not a horrific energy. Yes, it’s chaotic, and yes, what is happening is violent: the title indicates this for us. Pieter’s blues and his use of reds though are more energetic than terrifying, and more encouraging rather than horrifying.

Northern art is for the win for me a lot recently.