Getting the Christmas Tree 1939

James E. Allen made this work, Getting the Christmas Tree, in shades of brown. It's like a memory of a long-ago winter, rendered in a way that feels both solid and dreamlike. I imagine Allen, leaning over his plate, thinking about how to create a sense of depth in a scene filled with snow and trees. Look at the marks he makes to represent the snow, the subtle gradations of tone, and the way the figures emerge from the landscape. See how the horses strain to pull the tree and the log? What kind of lines did Allen need to make to describe that physical exertion? There’s a quietness to the scene, a sense of shared purpose and tradition. Think about all the artists who came before Allen, who explored similar themes of nature, labor, and family. I'm sure he was in conversation with them. And now, we’re in conversation with Allen, continuing the cycle of looking, thinking, and making that defines the history of art.