Blue Snow, The Battery 1910

George Bellows made this snow scene most likely with oil paint on canvas, capturing a winter's day with a cool blue palette. I can almost feel the chill in the air. Looking at the painting, I imagine Bellows outside, braving the cold to capture this scene. He's laying down the strokes quickly, trying to catch the fleeting light before it shifts. The paint application is quite thin, allowing the white of the canvas to peek through in places, especially in the snow, which gives it a luminous quality. The bare trees are so beautifully rendered with these decisive strokes. They remind me of some of the gestural marks in Twombly’s paintings. What might Bellows be thinking as he paints this scene? Is he thinking about the changing seasons, the rhythm of urban life? Or just the sheer pleasure of capturing a moment in time? Painters are always building on what’s come before, learning from each other, and pushing the boundaries of what paint can do. This painting, with its understated beauty and quiet contemplation, feels like a part of that ongoing conversation.