AMERICAN SCHOOL (19th Century) "Figure on a Snowy Street." Unsigned. Oil on panel, 12 1/4" x 9 1/8" (sight); 16" x 13" (framed). Price Category: B

In this expressive scene, a small figure, perhaps a child, leans into the wind as she makes her way along a snowy street. A horse-drawn carriage in the foreground echoes her diagonal movement, while a gas street lamp casts a feeble yellow glow against a grey winter sky. In its subject matter and muted unitary color scheme, this small panel suggests the work of an American tonalist, though it cannot be attributed with any certainty. Stylistically, the painting bears a resemblance to the work of Paul Cornoyer (American, 1864-1923) and perhaps was painted by someone in his circle. Cornoyer was drawn to rainy and snowy cityscapes and on several occasions featured a red-capped child with a tiny space left between the body and the cap to suggest a face. Such figures were a trademark of his impressionistic touch. The artist who painted this panel adopts the same technique. The work conveys the feeling of a casual sketch-we can see a correction in the shape of one of the horses' heads-and it may have been conceived as a study for a larger painting. Even so, it has its own integrity, intrigue, and charm. Presented in a new period-style American frame.

Art in the Afternoon, L.L.C.
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