Robert Henri
oil on canvas
1902
"Snow in the New York City" is one of Robert Henri's works. This painting is typical of Ashcan School paintings.
Because of Henri's trips to Europe, he was influenced by artists such as Manet, his works were usually in dark color. This painting mainly used gray and black, and it makes the light on the road conspicuous. It was still daytime but the light has already been turned on. It symbolized that the city is dark and showed people were eager for light and hope.
Ashcan School paintings focused on the urban reality instead of the style.This painting depicts his on-the-spot observation. There are apartments and office buildings along the road.And there's perspective. It also shows that the road is covered with slush and new-fallen snow.These were all realities in New York city. Through the wheels on the road and the carriage with snow and mud, it's easy for us to imagine people's busy life in New York.Compared with the people in the carriage with the people walking on the street, we can see the difference between wealthy people and poor people. This painting is detailed, we can even figure out the color people were wearing and the windows in the buildings. These detail makes the painting looks like a picture.
The whole painting is full of depressive atmosphere. And the slush and mud shows the dirty environment in New York.
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