Did you know one of America's most famous winter artists was completely dismissed by critics during his lifetime?
George Henry Durrie painted "Winter in the Country" in 1858, capturing a solitary figure and his dog walking through heavy snow toward a warm New England farmhouse. While fine art critics called him a mere illustrator, his art offered a much-needed vision of peace and stability right before the turbulent years of the Civil War.
Sadly, Durrie passed away at just 43 years old. But his work achieved massive posthumous fame when Currier & Ives turned his paintings into popular lithographic prints. He unknowingly became the creator of the iconic American winter pastoral ideal we still recognize toda...