Description
In January 1914 George Bellows wrote to a friend, “There has been none of my favorite snow. I must always paint the snow at least once a year.” Soon after, on February 13, a major blizzard hit New York City, inspiring the artist to paint Love of Winter. He used bright reds, yellows, and greens to intensify the winter scene and broad, slashing brushstrokes to convey movement, wind, and speed. The energetic group of skaters and onlookers, composed of people of a range of ages and social classes, reflects the diverse populations who enjoyed the public parks and the leisure activities they offered in early 20th-century New York City.
Provenance
The artist, 1914; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1914.
Accession Number
109780
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
81.6 × 101.6 cm (32 1/2 × 40 1/2 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Credit Line
Friends of American Art Collection
Tags
Color: Teal
Background & Context
Background Story
George Bellows's "Love of Winter" (1914) is an oil on canvas that captures the energy and beauty of a winter landscape. Bellows (1882–1925) was one of America's foremost realist painters, associated with the Ashcan School and known for his dynamic depictions of urban life and his powerful landscapes. This painting shows a winter scene with snow-covered ground, bare trees, and figures enjoying the winter weather—perhaps skating, sledding, or simply walking through the snow. The palette is cool and crisp, with the white of the snow dominating the composition, punctuated by the darker tones of the trees and the figures. The brushwork is vigorous and expressive, conveying the bracing quality of winter air and the crunch of snow underfoot. Bellows was an accomplished snow scene painter, and "Love of Winter" is one of the finest examples of his ability to capture the particular beauty of the winter landscape. The painting conveys not just the appearance of winter but the feeling of it: the cold, the brightness, the energy of outdoor activity in the snow.
Cultural Impact
Bellows's winter landscapes rank among the finest American snow scenes, capturing the beauty and energy of winter with a vigor that matches his more famous urban and boxing subjects.
Why It Matters
This winter scene captures the bracing beauty of snow-covered landscape, Bellows's vigorous brushwork and crisp palette conveying both the cold of winter and the warmth of human activity within it.
