Art Consultant's Spotlight: "Jingle Bells and Powdered Snow" by G. Harvey

Dashing through the snow, as the old holiday tune goes, the winter winds brush the cheeks of these festive riders. Like the automobile of later, people of the nineteenth century not only used the sleigh for daily travel but also to race and for courting, as is exemplified in the popular holiday song by James Lord Pierpont.  However, here in Harvey’s scene, it is not racers or lovers but rather a group of people, perhaps a family, who enjoy a winter day’s outing. Their joy and excitement is felt in the impressions of their smiling faces and is reinforced by the colorful balloons held tightly by the figure seated in the back of the sleigh. Their loving pet accompanies them giving the piece an even stronger sense of family and companionship. The late afternoon light envelops the group as they dash across the trail, probably going on to another holiday party. In the yesteryear, during the snowy winter it was common to adorn horses' harnesses with bells as a way to avoid collisions. The song “Jingle Bells” gave these bells a more celebratory purpose and G. Harvey’s association with them and the powdery snow creates a holiday scene that is nostalgic and festive.

©Gina Martinez, Art Consultant, J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne, TX
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