Winter in Minnesota
1944
20th century
30 1/2 x 38 1/2 in. (77.5 x 97.8 cm)
Adolf Dehn,
American,
(1895–1968)
Object Type:
Drawings and Watercolors
Creation Place:
North America, United States
Medium and Support:
Watercolor on paper
Credit Line:
Carleton College Art Collection, Encyclopedia Britannica Collection, Gift of William Benton, Class of 1921, Trustee 1948-1961
Accession Number:
1998.215
Adolf Dehn, a prolific printmaker, worked extensively in lithography and other media. Born in Minnesota, Dehn gravitated to bohemian artistic communities in Europe and New York. In addition to Minnesota rural landscapes, Dehn depicted scenes around the world, and had a special talent for caricature. In 1937 the artist began to produce exhibition watercolors such as Winter in Minnesota, which met with enthusiastic acclaim. With this image, Dehn’s returns to his childhood home near Waterville, Minnesota – southwest of Northfield.
Winter in Minnesota is among nine pictures given to Carleton by William Benton, when a trustee of the college. While CEO of Britannica, Benton assembled an extensive collection of American paintings to be used in marketing and as a demonstration of corporate support for American art.