Anna Mary Robertson Moses’ self-taught, naive style is distinctly her own. Her description of her creative technique underscores this aesthetic:
I use masonite or hard wood to paint on, because it will last many years longer than canvas. Before I start painting, I go over the board with linseed oil, then with three coats of flat white paint to cover up the darkness of the board. Now the board is ready for the scene, whatever the mind may produce, a landscape, an old bridge, a dream, or a summer or winter scene, childhood memories, but always something pleasing and cheerful, I like bright colors and activity.
Winter Sports depicts a valley blanketed in snow. The residents of the local village, human and animal alike, carry out various activities in their yards. Some are at rest, such as the figure to the left with a gun, possibly preparing to head out on a hunt, or the figure standing beneath a tree and holding the reins of a black horse. Others are in transit; two horses pull a figure on a sled down the main road, while a dog rushes toward them from the left, and another dog, at center, watches a running rooster to the right. To the far right, a figure clears the snow, possibly to make space for the hens inside the barn to search for food. In all, it is a lively scene that simultaneously captures the simplicity and industry of rural life, as well as the flurry of activity that comes in the wake of a snowfall. To add an extra touch of wintery sparkle, Moses used glitter alongside dabs of paint in places where the snow accumulates on rooftops and foliage. This demonstrates the particular care that went into the piece, and the charm of Moses’s winter works in general. Her quaint snowy scenes are among her most coveted creations, for reasons exemplified here.
The painting also has an interesting provenance through the distinguished Clark family:
The artist
With Galerie St. Etienne, N.Y.
Mrs. Stephen C. Clark, Cooperstown, acquired from the above, 1948
By descent to Alfred Corning Clark II, New York, her son
Gift of the above to his 4th (and later ex-) wife Jean Sinclair Tailer, Palm Beach
By descent from the above to a private owner, Palm Beach
With Debra Force Fine Art, N.Y.
Acquired from the above, 2021
