The lush, rich layers of paint on the surface of this canvas reveal Redfield’s unique brand of impressionism. He used long brushstrokes, thickly applied. The artist, who came to New Hope at the end of the nineteenth century, advocated for painting outdoors, even in adverse weather conditions in the deepest cold of winter. He sometimes finished his canvases in “one go” en plein air, sometimes strapping his paintings to trees on especially blustery days, knee deep in snow.
Redfield trained at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with Thomas Anshutz, Thomas Hovenden, and James Kelly. He developed an ongoing friendship with fellow student Robert Henri, with whom he traveled to Paris.