There aren't many depictions of the dead of winter that are finer than this landscape. It's a grandiose painting. Winter has the city and river almost in a death grip, yet the ice hasn't formed to block the river. The surface of this picture is so vibrant it seems to still be wet after nearly 100 years. The texture and handling of the paint are thrilling. If one were to judge based just of the handling of paint, there is no more accomplished painter than Bellows, an underrated genius. This is the first painting that Bellows sold to a museum.
|