Artwork
Winter in the Country
Winter in the Country is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist George Henry Durrie. It dates from 1858 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: DURRIE / N HAVEN
About this work
Technique & Style
The painting remains in good condition within the National Gallery of Art’s collection, retaining its original color balance and compositional balance (1,2).
The work is an oil painting on canvas, measuring 45.7 × 61.1 cm and dated 1858 (1,2). It portrays a modest house and a leafless tree set against a snow‑covered landscape, a motif typical of George Henry Durrie’s winter scenes (1,2). Durrie employed a restrained palette of whites, blues and earth tones, using fine, even brushwork to render texture in the snow and foliage (1,2).
The canvas support is primed and the paint applied in thin, layered strokes that preserve the surface integrity (2). The painting remains in good condition within the National Gallery of Art’s collection, retaining its original color balance and compositional balance (1,2).
History & Provenance
Winter in the Country was painted by George Henry Durrie in 1858 in oil on canvas. Its earliest documented transaction is a sale at Sotheby's in New York on 21 April 1977, lot 19. The work subsequently entered the collection of the Physicians Planning Service Corporation, founded by George J. Arden, and passed to Mr. and Mrs. George J. Arden of New York after Arden's death in 1983.
It was consigned to Berry-Hill Galleries, Inc. in New York, which sold it in November 1988 to Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia. The Mellons gave the painting to the National Gallery of Art in 1994, where it remains in the collection.
Winter in the Country has been held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. since 1994, when it was given by Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon of Upperville, Virginia. The Mellons had acquired the painting in November 1988 through Berry-Hill Galleries, Inc., in New York. Prior to that, it belonged to Mr. and Mrs. George J. Arden of New York; Mrs. Arden inherited the collection after her husband's death in 1983.
Earlier provenance traces the work to the Physicians Planning Service Corporation, the firm George Arden founded, and to a sale at Sotheby's in New York on 21 April 1977, lot 19. The painting is documented in Martha Young Hutson's 1977 monograph on the artist.
Overview
George Henry Durrie's oil on canvas painting, Winter in the Country, created around 1858, captures a serene rural landscape. The artwork presents a quiet, snow-covered scene at dusk, featuring a modest house and bare trees. This piece exemplifies Durrie's characteristic focus on the tranquil beauty of the winter season in the American countryside.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a snow-laden country road winding through a twilight landscape. A small white house stands prominently on the left, flanked by stark, leafless trees. Footprints mark a path through the otherwise pristine snow, which blankets the entire scene.
The sky transitions from a soft pink hue at the horizon to cooler blue shadows, evoking the quiet stillness of a winter evening.
Context
George Henry Durrie frequently explored winter subjects throughout his artistic career, finding inspiration in the landscapes of his native Connecticut. His preference for these snowy vistas allowed him to develop a distinctive visual language that resonated with contemporary audiences. The artist's upbringing in the region likely informed his authentic portrayal of New England's seasonal character.
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Artist & collection
Artist
George Henry Durrie (June 6, 1820 – October 15, 1863) was an American landscape artist noted especially for his rural winter snow scenes, which became very popular after they were reproduced as lithographic prints by Currier and Ives.
