A sheaf of wheat droops heavily over a giant head of cabbage in the vegetable garden, which has been taken by surprise by the first snowfall of the year. The mountain in the background is shaped like the profile of Astrup’s dear friend, the author Hans E. Kinck. Astrup illustrated several of Kinck’s short stories, and in a letter he describes: “… how I would illustrate a specific motif in ‘Driftekaren’ (‘The Drover’), where it unexpectedly snows on the spring flowers and green grass”. “When you uttered those words back then”, Kinck wrote, “it was the proudest moment of my life.” Astrup never managed to execute the planned illustration. Kinck died in 1926, and Astrup painted this picture immediately after he passed away. Kinck’s death was a great loss for Astrup. He later wrote, “I feel I have lost a part of myself, since he departed from our 22-year friendship”.