A Brush on the Snow 1871

Currier and Ives made this print, "A Brush on the Snow" to appeal to a growing middle class in America. The image of a family enjoying a winter sleigh ride invokes ideals of leisure and affluence. During the 19th century, prints like these served as accessible art for American homes. Currier and Ives mass-produced appealing scenes, and distributed them nationally. Their choices of imagery reinforced a vision of American life. The swift horses and elegant sleigh symbolize progress and modernity. By purchasing and displaying it in their homes, people celebrated not only their own status but also the cultural values represented, such as family, leisure, and upward mobility. Understanding the cultural and economic context of art involves researching the institutions and markets that shape artistic production and consumption, and the complex ways images reflect and reinforce social values.