George Wesley Bellows (1882-1925)Love of Winter
1914
Oil on canvas
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. In the work, 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 skates and onlookers, composed of people of a range of ages and social classes, reflects the diversity of public parks and leisure activities in early-20th-century New York City.
Painting photographed and text copied at The Art Institute of Chicago.
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