Out for Christmas Trees

Copied Grandma Moses, Out for Christmas Trees, 1946, oil and glitter on high-density fiberboard, 26 × 36 in. (66.0 × 91.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Kallir Family in honor of Hildegard Bachert, 2017.34.2, © Grandma Moses Properties Co., New York

Artwork Details

Title
Out for Christmas Trees
Artist
Date
1946
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
26 × 36 in. (66.0 × 91.4 cm)
Copyright
© Grandma Moses Properties Co., New York
Credit Line
Gift of the Kallir Family in honor of Hildegard Bachert
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil and glitter on high-density fiberboard
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • Figure group
  • Landscape — river
  • Animal — horse
  • Landscape — season — winter
  • Landscape — weather — snow
  • Landscape — town
  • Architecture Exterior — domestic — house
  • Architecture — vehicle — sleigh
  • Ceremony — holiday — Christmas
Object Number
2017.34.2
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/2017.34.2

Artwork Description

Moses initially resisted painting Christmas scenes, feeling uncomfortable with the subject's indoor setting. Reminded that the holiday festivities begin outdoors, however, she launched a popular series depicting the harvesting of the Christmas tree.

When Hallmark featured Out for Christmas Trees on a greeting card in 1951, it was an instant hit. In the 1950s, the commercial aspects of Christmas began to overshadow the day's religious underpinnings. The terrific success of this painting, however, may have derived from the way Moses foregrounded an entirely different set of ideas about this special family day: the joy of togetherness and anticipation, the bounty of the land, time-honored rituals of preparation, and the abiding notion that hard work and its rewards are the foundation of a satisfying life.

 Exhibition Label for Grandma Moses: A Good Day's Work October 24, 2025 -- July 12, 2026