Lingering Snows

In this panoramic view of mountains and a stream, Metcalf’s subtly harmonizing tones of green and purple describe the gentle light of the New England spring. This relatively large canvas was most likely painted on site in Woodstock, Vermont, on the Ottauquechee River. Quick, textured brush strokes with canvas showing through define the trees and left shore; thicker paint applied with a palette knife in a blend of salmon and lime represents the sky; and soft, lightly mottled colors are seen in the river, the right shore, and the deep blue mountain shadow. Most stunning is the irregular patch of snow resting in the upper right mountain dale, its whiteness matched only by the reflected white clouds in the river.