In this artwork, how is the Description discussed?
The winter scene depicts the 17th-century Puritan settlers of New England (later identified specifically as the Pilgrim Fathers) as a small armed group of somberly clad, God-fearing souls making their way from right to left through a snowy, recently cleared wood to a house of worship (a small building visible in the left background). A minister and his wife lead about a half dozen women and children towards the church and are themselves led and flanked by grim looking men with muskets. The influence of the peasant procession paintings of French artist Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848–1884) is evident. The outer molding of the present frame is thought to be of American manufacture, while the inner liner is English, and incorporates a rosette motif found on the frames of paintings by some the Pre-Raphaelite artists.
New England 17th-century Puritan settlers rosette motif Pilgrim Fathers Jules Bastien-Lepage Pre-Raphaelite