Red School House (Country Scene)

George Henry Durrie

1858 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

Based in New Haven, Connecticut, Durrie traveled throughout the state, painting scenes of rural life. He was noted for his winter landscapes, which idealize the harsh season and effectively capture the visual effects of snow and ice. The New York lithographic firm Currier and Ives chose a number of his scenes for reproduction and distribution. In this nostalgic work, Durrie depicted a one-room schoolhouse with a blanket of unmelted snow on its roof, surrounded by children at play.

Artist

George Henry Durrie

Date

1858

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Bequest of Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen, 2011