Andrew Winter (AMERICAN 1893-1976)

Lot description

ANDREW WINTER (AMERICAN 1893-1976) Light House in Winter, Monhegan Island, 1943 oil on canvas 55.9 x 71.1 cm (22 x 28 in.) framed dimensions 69.8 x 85 cm (27 1/2 x 33 1/2 in.) signed and dated lower left LOT NOTES The present work, dated 1943, is a quintessential example of Andrew Winter’s mastery over the Maine winter landscape. While many of his contemporaries fled Monhegan Island at the first sign of autumn, Winter remained, capturing the island in its most honest and desolate state. This painting depicts the iconic Monhegan Island Lighthouse and the adjacent keeper’s house, nestled atop the island's high central ridge, viewed through a dense, snow-laden screen of evergreens and birch. Winter’s technique in this piece reflects his "mariner’s eye" - there is a structural integrity to the way he builds the scene. The heavy impasto used to render the snow on the boughs of the spruce trees gives the work a tactile, three-dimensional quality. The palette is a sophisticated study in cool tones; the crisp whites and icy blues of the snow-covered foreground are punctuated by the deep, almost black greens of the pines and the warm, weathered stone of the lighthouse complex. The light suggests a late afternoon in mid-winter, where the sun sits low, casting long, soft shadows across the drifts. During the early 1940s, when this work was executed, Monhegan was not just a scenic retreat but a community facing the isolation of the war years. Winter’s choice to paint the lighthouse - a beacon of safety and a symbol of resilience - holds significant weight. The composition, which partially obscures the structures behind a wild, untamed forest, emphasizes the height and solitude of the station. It portrays the lighthouse not just as a landmark, but as a silent sentinel watching over a frozen world. Paintings of this caliber by Winter represent a vital chapter in American Realism. He successfully bridged the gap between traditional maritime painting and a more modern, expressive approach to the natural environment. Lighthouse in Winter serves as both a topographical record of Monhegan’s famous skyline and a poignant atmospheric study of the season that Winter knew more intimately than perhaps any other artist of his generation. N.B. Condition reports are available upon request. All lots are sold in as-is condition at the time of sale. Please note that any condition statement regarding works of art is given as a courtesy to our clients in order to assist them in assessing the condition. The report is a genuine opinion held by Shapiro Auctions & Appraisals LLC and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report or a photograph does not preclude the absence of defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Shapiro Auctions & Appraisals, LLC., including its consultants and agents, shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.