By Mary Marvin, Mayor, Village of Bronxville

Jul. 8, 2020: On the eve of their departure from Bronxville, residents Vicki and Si Ford, known for their legendary generosity to our community, recently donated a painting to be hung in Village Hall. We will hang it proudly and prominently to commemorate Vicki and Si’s years of service to our community.

The painting, Culvert, is a 25 x 30” oil on canvas painted by the Village’s own Hobart Nichols (1869- 1962). It was painted in 1930 while Mr. Nichols lived with his family at 41 Sunnybrook Road in Lawrence Park West. It is a significant representation of his work as he is best known for snowy landscapes with nuances of light on snow that he so adeptly mastered.

Mr. Nichols contributed to the artistic life of the Village and that of New York through both his art but also in leadership roles in various prestigious arts organizations including as a Trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Director of the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation and President of the National Academy of Design.

His works are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian. He created several dioramas and autumn forest scenes for the North American Bird Hall at the Museum of Natural History.

We are so appreciative that the Fords chose to leave this piece of Village history in Bronxville as they move home to Minnesota.

Photo courtesy Mary Marvin