Winter Glen

One of the most thorough going of my Impressionist experiment displays the snow-laden boughs that are defined by patterns of light and shade; their shadows dance on the brilliantly lit path. Almost every one of my recent paintings owes something to the achievements of Monet and Renoir in conveying the effects of light as it filters through trees and masses of flowers. Winter Glen remains one of my favorites as it is one of the most through going and successful of my Impressionistic experiments. In the country, winter is the season of simplicity. The trees stand unadorned, the undergrowth withered, the grass brown and sere. When a fresh snow blankets the fields, the profound silence charms not only the ear, but the eye as well.

When I was a young painter, I experimented widely. One of the subjects that intrigued and challenged me was the stark simplicity of a winter-scape. I often took my paints and easel out into the wintery countryside in search of a scene where shades of white shaped a perfectly satisfying world. I was struck by the way the golden glow of late afternoon in the sky subtly transmuted into rosy shadows on the pristine snow. I’m pleased even now by the play of light and shadows on the rustic country fence. And the roadway, at once inviting and mysterious, beckons the winter traveler in me to explore its distances.

Winter Glen portrays one of my most successful early forays into the snowy countryside. The effect of snow on the delicate branches is a Heavenly delight. I think the style suits this subject; I’m delighted that I was a student of the French masters when the snow happened to fall. I offer it in my Archival Collection now, because it represents a powerful interest of the young artist, and because I still find it a very satisfying painting.