Provenance
Sold 1902 to A.J. Crawford.[1] (Sale, James P. Silo, New York, 20-21 February 1925, no. 268); Chester Dale [1883-1962], New York; gift 1954 to NGA.
[1] The painting was possibly sold out of the 1902 exibition of Henri's work at Macbeth Gallery in New York. The sale date and reference to Crawford are in the artist's journal, as follows: "Sold to A.J. (?) Crawford (Annex Little Shop) 253 5th Ave.1902. In Mr. Crawford's house in London England 1906." The transcription of the journal entry was provided by Chapellier Galleries, New York, in a letter of 28 June 1968 to NGA curator E. John Bullard III; in NGA curatorial files.
Accession Number
1954.4.3
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 81.3 x 65.5 cm (32 x 25 13/16 in.) | framed: 105.4 x 89.2 x 10.1 cm (41 1/2 x 35 1/8 x 4 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Chester Dale Collection
Tags
Painting Early Modern (1901–1950) Oil Painting Canvas American
Background & Context
Background Story
Robert Henri (1865-1929) was an American painter known as the leader of the Ashcan School, whose dynamic, energetic paintings of New York urban life make him one of the most important painters of early 20th-century American realism. Snow in New York from 1902 depicts a snowy New York street in the dynamic, energetic manner that distinguishes Henri's best work from the more conventional painting of his contemporaries. The 1902 date places this in Henri's most productive period, when he was leading the group of painters known as The Eight who would become the Ashcan School, and the snowy New York subject shows his talent for depicting the energy of urban life with bold brushwork and democratic sympathy.
Cultural Impact
Snow in New York is important in the history of American painting because it demonstrates the dynamic, energetic manner that Henri brought to New York urban life as the leader of the Ashcan School. Henri's dynamic urban scenes—combining bold brushwork with democratic sympathy for the everyday life of New York—represent the most important tradition in early 20th-century American realism, and the 1902 painting shows this tradition at its most dynamic and democratic.
Why It Matters
Snow in New York is Henri's dynamic Ashcan realism: a snowy New York street rendered in the energetic manner of the leader of the Ashcan School. The 1902 painting shows the combination of bold brushwork with democratic sympathy for everyday urban life that defines the most important tradition in early 20th-century American realism.
