Abbott Handerson Thayer
Abbott Thayer was an American artist, naturalist, and teacher. As a painter of portraits, figures, animals, and landscapes, he enjoyed a particular prominence during his lifetime, and his paintings are represented in significant American art collections.
At a particular moment of his life, painting the scenery around his home in Dublin, New Hampshire, served as a therapeutic diversion for Thayer, especially when he encountered unresolved challenges in his figurative works. He deeply revered the New Hampshire landscape, particularly the nearby Mount Monadnock, which he depicted in numerous paintings. Drawing inspiration from his favorite philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thayer turned to the study of landscapes in search of the moral truths they could reveal, a rationale he also applied to his allegorical portrayals of women.
The painting we present today was crafted during the initial year when Thayer's family chose to remain in Dublin throughout the chilly months. Thayer had a penchant for the pristine snow blankets, as most of his landscapes from this period are wintry scenes. Through these pieces, he consistently demonstrated how the pale turquoise winter sky cast blue shadows on the snow, a crucial principle in his theories about the protective coloration of blue jays.
P.S. If you like wintry landscapes, you're going to love this almost abstract Deep Winter by Cuno Amiet!