Henry Hutt created this whimsical Victorian winter scene painting for publication in Century magazine. The image shows three demure maidens delighting in the gentle fall of snowflakes in an unexpected Christmas blizzard. The Chicago based illustrator was known at the turn of the 20th century for his trend-setting images "depicting the stylish, up-to-date female." In 1908 Century compiled eighty of the artist's most revered illustrations into the popular volume The Henry Hutt Picture Book. He was considered to be somewhat of a child prodigy and sold his first illustration to LIFE magazine when he was a mere 16 years of age, and worked for many of the periods most heralded magazine titles. This painting appeared in the December 1899 "Christmas Number" issue of Century. The illustration has been trimmed from its original proportions, as published the scene included three bishops overlooking the maidens. Handsomely silk matted and framed under glass in a hand carved basswood frame. A complete edition of the published magazine is included in the sale.
