Birge Harrison - Fifth Avenue at Twilight [c.1909]

Birge Harrison - Fifth Avenue at Twilight [c.1909], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

Lovell Birge Harrison (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 28, 1854 – Woodstock, New York, 1929) was an American genre and landscape painter. Born in Philadelphia, he was the brother of T. Alexander Harrison, and studied with Carolus-Duran and at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under Cabanel. In 1881 he exhibited at the Salon and in 1882 he returned to America and subsequently spent considerable time (1889-93) painting and sketching in Australia, the South Seas, and New Mexico. He received numerous prizes and medals, including the gold medal at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1910.

[Oil on canvas, 76.2 x 58.4 cm]

Birge Harrison - Winter Sunset [c.1890]

In his 1909 book, Landscape Painting, Birge Harrison (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1854 - Woodstock, New York, 1929) described colour as “dancing” in nature, and he was especially fascinated by the subtle tones in a wintry landscape. In this image, he painted the pinks and purples of a winter sunset reflected and diffused across broken ice. The dark boats trapped by the frozen water and the pale colours evoke an environment that is both harsh and beautiful.

[Oil on wood mounted on wooden cradle, 38.7 x 59.4 cm]