“Fifth Avenue in Winter,” crafted by Childe Hassam circa 1890, is a notable piece within the Impressionism art movement. Classified as a genre painting, the artwork offers a vivid depiction of urban life during winter on New York City’s Fifth Avenue.
The artwork portrays a wintry scene, embellished with snow-covered streets and buildings. Carriages drawn by horses populate the avenue, while pedestrians, dressed in period attire, move along the snow-laden sidewalks, some carrying umbrellas. The muted color palette, dominated by whites and soft earthy tones, emphasizes the serene yet bustling atmosphere of a city braving the cold season. The soft, impressionistic brushstrokes skillfully capture the interplay of light and shadow on the snow and architecture, lending a realistic yet atmospheric quality to the scene. The lampposts, with their subtle glow, and the stately buildings in the background further enrich this picturesque representation of a late 19th-century urban winter.