887 - Reed-thatched houses in winter, cottage with snow-covered straw roof, wattle fence and bare tree

Reed-thatched houses in winter, cottage with snow-covered straw roof, wattle fence and bare tree Oil on canvas, unsigned, rural scene with two snow-covered huts with straw roofs pulled far down, the front hut with white walls, chimney, door and windows, on the left a wattle fence and a bare tree, on the right a board fence with gate, above a blue sky with clouds, condition commensurate with age, narrow streaky areas with paint loss, craquelure, thinned areas, paint losses, image 29.5x43.5 cm (HxW), framed, frame somewhat chipped, frame width 5 cm Straw and reed roofs belong to the soft roofs and have been used as roof covering for a very long time. For the straw roof the threshed, dry stalks of cereals were used, formerly above all rye straw, whereas reed is a reed plant. The covering requires a roof pitch of at least 45 degrees. The sensitive ridge was protected with layers of grass or heather or with twisted straw ropes. In northern Germany, reed-thatched houses still characterise the cultural landscape today.