Art connoisseurs, of course, remember two small works by the Antwerp “Master of Winter Landscapes” from the Hermitage collection, and won’t make a mistake in assuming that in the book, whose title copies that inscription, the plot will in some way be connected to painting, to a secret, and to anonymity. The rhythms of the characters’ inner speech and the naturalness of their strange actions give this almost detective novel the feel of a good jazz piece: the intrigue unfolds slowly, but gradually draws you in and doesn’t let you go until the very last page.