Madison Square, Snow 1904

Allen Tucker made this painting, Madison Square, Snow, with oil on canvas sometime in the early 20th century. There’s a light touch here, a real sensitivity to color that reminds me that painting is a process of layering and adjusting, not just capturing an image. Look closely and you’ll see how the buildings and trees emerge from a haze of blues, pinks, and yellows. The paint isn't applied to thickly, yet you still feel the texture of the brushstrokes, especially in the foreground where the rooftops glisten with snow. There's a sort of balance between the way the trees are laid out and the buildings in the back. It's like he’s trying to capture a feeling, a fleeting moment, rather than a perfect representation. It makes me think of other painters like Childe Hassam, who were also trying to capture the energy of the city in their own way. Art is always a conversation, an exchange of ideas. Tucker shows us that there’s always more than one way to see the world, and that’s what makes it so exciting.