Winter Solstice (poster)

"Winter Solstice" (2014) is a colored pencil drawing by Marie Brožová, created live in public at her famous Magic Pencil Gallery in the heart of Prague as part of her long-term project The Defense of Colored Pencils. The original artwork is an impressive A0 format, measuring 118.9 × 84.1 cm (46.8 × 33.1 inches). This piece is featured in the Celtic Year series.

The Story Behind the Art

The ancient Celtic celebration of the winter solstice—traditionally known as Yule—is a profound tribute to the rebirth of light. After the longest, darkest night of the year, a cosmic turning point arrives: the sun begins to reclaim its strength and the days softly lengthen, even as the true depths of winter are just beginning to awaken. It is a sacred time of deep faith in the eventual return of spring, and a moment of gratitude for the quiet, inner fertility found only within the dark.

This deep-rooted tradition later beautifully merged with the Christian celebration of Christmas. In the Celtic world, the days leading up to the solstice were dedicated to Epona, the radiant goddess traditionally depicted as a young woman surrounded by a majestic herd of white horses. As the protector of animals, her festival decreed that all working draft beasts were given a period of holy rest. In this mystical drawing, Epona releases her ethereal winter snow horses into the twilight world, sweeping across the dark blue sky.

Hidden Details to Discover

A Celtic fish ornament, hidden within the artwork, is traditionally interpreted as a symbol of water’s three states of matter—liquid, gas, and solid. As a traditional fasting food, the fish is also a symbol of Christmastime and Christianity itself. The Greek word Ichthys (fish) was an acronym formed from the first letters of the phrase: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior. In the era of early Christianity, this symbol served as a secret sign by which persecuted Christians recognized one another.

Available as: Fine Art Prints (A4–A0), Gallery-Quality Posters (A2–A0), Greeting Cards, Postcards, Celtic Year Coloring Book.