.jpg?w=1)
拍品专文
Born in a small Polish town, Morris Hirshfield and his family immigrated to the United States when he was eighteen. As a child his interest in art was manifested through wood carving, but after settling in New York City, he found employment with a women's coat factory. After several years, Hirshfield and his brother started their own business, which became one of the most successful slipper manufacturers in New York. Poor health forced Hirshfield to retire in 1935, but with his new free time, he was able to revisit his artistic passions and in 1937 created his first paintings, Beach Girl and Angora Cat, both in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York.
Completely self-taught, Hirshfield's occupational background in textiles and early interest in wood carving are clearly reflected in his paintings, including Cats in the Snow. The repetitive patterning and texturing throughout is similar to those of various fabrics, and the thick outlines and use of curvilinear forms seem to mimic the cutting of contours for clothing patterns. Based on the artist's imagination and often printed images, the animals and figures depicted in Hirshfield's work become part of the overall patterning of the composition, creating an inimitable, unusual Folk Art style that is beautifully manifested in Cats in the Snow.
Completely self-taught, Hirshfield's occupational background in textiles and early interest in wood carving are clearly reflected in his paintings, including Cats in the Snow. The repetitive patterning and texturing throughout is similar to those of various fabrics, and the thick outlines and use of curvilinear forms seem to mimic the cutting of contours for clothing patterns. Based on the artist's imagination and often printed images, the animals and figures depicted in Hirshfield's work become part of the overall patterning of the composition, creating an inimitable, unusual Folk Art style that is beautifully manifested in Cats in the Snow.