Winter Drive 1815 - 1892

Constantin Guys made this watercolor and graphite drawing, “Winter Drive,” in nineteenth-century France. The image captures a horse-drawn carriage carrying a wealthy woman bundled up in furs. The artwork provides a glimpse into the social stratification of the time, with the wealthy enjoying leisurely winter drives while the working class likely toiled in harsh conditions. Guys, as an artist working for publications like the Illustrated London News, often depicted scenes of modern life, offering insights into the fashion, customs, and social interactions of the period. He was, we might say, a kind of flâneur with a pen. To fully understand “Winter Drive,” we can consult sources, such as fashion magazines, social commentaries, and historical accounts of nineteenth-century France. In this way, art provides us with valuable insights into the values and power dynamics of the past.