An artwork on Galleree from The Art Institute of Chicago.
About the artwork
IceboundJohn Henry Twachtman
American, 1853–1902
c. 1889
Connecticut
642 × 76.6 cm (25 1/4 × 30 1/8 in.)
Oil on canvas
Friends of American Art Collection
['Impressionism']
['landscapes', 'winter', 'snow', 'trees', 'weather/seasons', 'water', 'Century of Progress', "world's fairs", "Chicago World's Fairs"]
['painting', 'american arts']
['oil paint (paint)', 'organic material']
['oil painting', 'painting (image making)']
['Essentials']
During the last decade of his life, John Henry Twachtman frequently painted views of the landscape surrounding his home on Round Hill Road in Greenwich, Connecticut. In a departure from typically barren images of winter, he enjoyed depicting the beauty of the frozen terrain, believing that it was conducive to contemplation and regeneration. The dense, gradually built-up layers of paint in Icebound mimic the accumulation of snow on frozen ground, and the sinuous curves that define the snow and ice against the water suggest movement in an otherwise tranquil environment. Almost square in format, the painting’s harmonious composition exemplifies Twachtman’s opinion that “never is nature more lovely than when it is snowing.”
| attributed to Art Institute of Chicago under CC-By license
In the final chapter of his life, John Henry Twachtman found solace in the serene landscapes that surrounded his home on Round Hill Road, nestled in the quiet embrace of Greenwich, Connecticut. With each stroke of his brush, he turned to the snowy realm of winter, departing from the typical barren vistas that often characterized the season. Instead, he discovered the beauty hidden within the landscape, believing that the frosty stillness offered a rare sanctuary for contemplation and renewal.
In his masterpiece, Icebound, Twachtman painted with a resolute passion, layering the canvas with thick, textured globs of paint that mirrored the quiet buildup of snow blanketing the ground. Each swirl and curve in the icy expanse rings with an unspoken rhythm, suggesting a gentle movement in an otherwise tranquil setting. The almost square shape of the canvas brings a sense of balance and harmony, inviting the viewer to step into the pristine moment captured within.
Twachtman once mused, “never is nature more lovely than when it is snowing,” a sentiment echoed in the tender brushwork of Icebound. Here, winter’s chill transforms into a warm embrace, revealing a landscape alive with potential and beauty, waiting for all who pause to contemplate its wonders.
About the artist
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