“Skating in Central Park” by Agnes Tait

“Skating in Central Park” by Agnes Tait is a large, festive scene of winter revelers in Central Park, New York City. It depicts skaters and sledders on the frozen lake and the snowy slopes of the park.

It is late afternoon, the sun is setting behind the Manhattan skyline, and the contrast between the snow and the dark branches of the bare trees is delightful.

Tait has combined stylistic elements inspired from American Primitive Art merged with influences drawn from Pieter Breughel the Elder’s artistic universe.

Agnes Tait was a painter, artist, lithographer, book illustrator, and muralist. She began work on “Skating in Central Park” under the employment from the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP). T

his program employed artists as part of the New Deal during the Great Depression. The purpose of the program was:

“to give work to artists.”

The program employed 3,749 artists, and 15,663 works were produced. The subject had to be related to the “American scene.” Artworks from the project were shown in many government facilities, including the White House and House of Representatives.

This work’s success led to further employment for Tait under the Federal Art Project, including small lithographic editions and mural work.

Central Park

Central Park is an urban park in Manhattan, New York City. It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with over 40 million visitors annually and one of the most filmed locations in the world.

A non-profit organization contributes 75 percent of Central Park’s $65 million annual budget and is responsible for all primary care of the park.

Central Park was first approved in 1853 as a 778-acre (315 ha) park. Today the main attractions of the park include the Ramble and Lake. There are many amusement attractions, including:

Central Park Ice Rink,
Central Park Carousel,
Central Park Zoo,
Sheep Meadow,
Central Park Mall,
Bethesda Terrace,
The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, and
The Delacorte Theater that hosts Shakespeare in the Park programs in the summertime.

The park also has sports facilities, including basketball courts, baseball fields, and soccer fields.

Agnes Tait

Agnes Tait (1894–1981) was an American painter and dancer. Tait began exhibiting at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1915, and her determination to succeed in her artistic endeavors prompted her to study in Paris.

Tait’s fondness for travel and adventure led her on many trips, which she documented with her art. After spending time in Italy, Ireland, and Florida, she settled in Santa Fe to live out the rest of her life until she died in 1981.

Skating in Central Park

Title: Skating in Central Park
Artist: Agnes Tait
Year: 1934
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions 33 3/4 x 48 in. (85.8 x 121.8 cm)
Museum: Smithsonian American Art Museum

Agnes Tait

Name: Agnes Tait
Born: 1894 – New York City
Died: 1981 (aged 87) – Santa Fe, New Mexico
Nationality: American
Notable works:
- Skating in Central Park

Central Park – 360 Views

Facts About Central Park, New York

In the mid-19th century, New York City’s elite, who had experienced Europe’s popular public parks, proposed a similar space for their city. They believed that it would provide inhabitants with culture, fresh air, and exercise.
Central Park was America’s first major landscaped public park.
Central Park covers an area of 341 hectares (843 acres). It is 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) long and 0.8 kilometers (0.5 miles) wide.
Central Park in New York is one of the most filmed locations in the world. Movies include Romeo and Juliet, An Affair to Remember When Harry Meets Sally, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
To build the park, a whole village called ‘Seneca’ with 1600 people, which was founded in 1825 by free African-Americans, had to be first cleared.
Central Park includes the U.S.’ biggest Carousel, which is a 54-horse merry-go-round.
There are 51 sculptures, 36 bridges & arches, seven ornamental fountains, and 125 drinking fountains.
The park was landscaped from mud, swamps, and rocks to include about 25,000 trees; seven bodies of water; 136 acres of woodlands; 250 acres of lawns; 58 miles of walking paths; and 36 bridges and arches.
Trees and plants couldn’t grow in the original soil, so 500,000 cubic feet of topsoil was imported from New Jersey.
The park was covered with rocks, which had to be blown up with gunpowder and carted out via carriage. The project’s 20,000 laborers used more gunpowder than was used in the Battle of Gettysburg.
The vast majority of Central Park has been professionally landscaped, despite appearing natural.
The Egyptian obelisk inscribed with Hieroglyphs that is referred to as “Cleopatra’s Needle” dates to 1440 BC and is one of the pair, the other is by River Thames in London. The obelisk is approximately 68 feet tall and weighs about 180 tons. They were originally erected at the Temple of Ra in Heliopolis in Ancient Egypt by the pharaoh Thutmose III.
The bronze statue of Christopher, in the park, was unveiled in 1894 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of him discovering America.
The Strawberry Field Memorial is dedicated to the memory of Beatles’ John Lennon and was named after the Beatles’ song “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
Central Park receives over 40 million visitors annually and is open all year.
Central Park has over 9,000 benches, which would stretch 7 miles if placed end to end.
Bow Bridge is one of the most photographed and filmed locations in Central Park. It was the first cast-iron bridge in the Park and was built between 1859 and 1862.