Mount Equinox, Winter

An artist with an adventurous spirit, Rockwell Kent traveled widely, gravitating to such harsh and snowy locales as Alaska, Greenland, Newfoundland, and New England for his painted landscapes. Kent set up a small shack to use as a studio in remote Vermont, which he described as a “handy refuge for a frozen realist.” It was there that he captured this view of Mount Equinox in winter, one of a group of paintings that he executed of the peak at different seasons. Although grounded in realism, Kent’s landscapes are not straightforward transcriptions of the natural world; rather, they are harmonious compositions featuring simplified forms, vivid colors, sharp contrasts, and astute design.