NEW YORK, NY.- Museum of the City of New York, the city’s storyteller for over a century, has opened its special exhibition, Four Seasons of Central Park: Watercolors by Frederick Brosen, on February 9th. The installation marks the public debut of the artist’s new quartet of paintings capturing Central Park's changing seasons. Traversing the masterpiece that is Central Park, arguably the bucolic beating heart of New York City, Brosen's carefully observed and masterfully rendered watercolor scenes cycle through Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, offering diverse perspectives from the widest to the most intimate views. Each stroke of Brosen’s watercolor brush builds layers, creating, in his own words, "a subjective and interpretive sense of each specific place."

Stephanie Hill Wilchfort, Ronay Menschel Director and President of Museum of the City of New York, says, "Central Park is not only a symbol of the city--one of the most filmed locations in the world—but also a year-round gathering place for cultural happenings grand and small. Four Seasons of Central Park shares a special visual journey through New York’s ‘backyard,’ leaving an indelible impression of its historic locations while reflecting both the passage of time and the weight of history.”

Works on view as part of the exhibition:

• SPRING: This ravishingly beautiful painting features Burnett Memorial Fountain on the park’s east side at 104th Street, in the Conservatory Garden’s South Garden. A masterpiece of color, light, composition, and reflection, the painting is heartfelt, fresh, and soft. It wordlessly captures a part of the park dedicated to the renewing power of stories and the narrative arcs that shape New Yorkers’ lives.

• SUMMER: This work is of Belvedere Castle just after sunset—its turret, the highest structure in the Park, looms above the Ramble and the Turtle Pond behind the Delacorte Theater at 79th Street. The painting glows with the brief long light of a summer evening in the park.

• FALL: An intimate view of the Bethesda Fountain, this work depicts in full autumn daylight. The painting depicts the fountain’s ordinary angel--one of Brosen’s favorite subjects—which stands not just at the heart of the park but of New York City itself. In this painting, the artist somehow manages to evoke the sound of quietly rushing water and nearly still mid-park fall air.

• WINTER: This piece shows the stunning Glen Span Arch following a snowstorm. In this intimate place, the waters of the Park connect the Pool on the west side to the North Woods above, and beyond them to the Harlem Meer at the Park’s far northeastern corner, just blocks from the Museum of the City of New York.

Four Seasons of Central Park is being accompanied by a range of public programs and educational activities on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the spring including:

• NYC Discovery Lab: Nature in the City
Saturdays and Sundays in April, 11am-3pm
Free for children ages 19 and under; adults free with suggested museum admission

Drop by for activities inspired by the watercolors of Frederick Brosen. Pick up a guide with activity prompts to explore the Museum’s galleries and discover how artists have represented nature in the city through paintings, drawings, and literature and create a nature-inspired artwork to take home.

• A Walk in the Park: New Collaboration with Central Park Conservancy
Beginning in March
Pair your experience with the art with a stroll in nature! In celebration of Four Seasons of Central Park, the Museum is partnering with the Central Park Conservancy to provide activity sheets for use in the Museum and out in the Park. Materials can be picked up for free at the Museum of the City of New York and at the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, starting in March.

Frederick Brosen

One of America’s finest watercolor artists, Frederick Brosen infuses his artworks with architectural romance, and creates urban landscapes that are imbued with a sense of history and limitless personal experiences. With masterful technique, he starts each work with a highly detailed sketch, slowly building color with light washes before adding layer upon layer of rich tone. The results are crystalline and sophisticated images that reflect each location through the intimacy of countless details. A proud native New Yorker, Brosen's artistic journey includes studies at the City College of New York, the Art Students League, and Pratt Institute. His acclaimed work graces prestigious museum collections nationwide, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Historical Society, the Knoxville Museum of Art, and, of course, the Museum of the City of New York. Privately, his art has found a home in collections like the late Billy Wilder's. Beyond his artistic achievements, Brosen is a highly respected instructor, sharing his expertise at institutions such as the National Academy of Design, the Art Students League, and Lehman College of the City University of New York.

The Museum of the City of New York

Museum of the City of New York, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023, fosters an understanding of the distinctive nature of urban life in the world’s most influential metropolis. Time Out New York named its blockbuster centennial show, This Is New York: 100 Years of the City in Art and Pop Culture, as the best exhibition of 2023. Moreover, the Museum previously earned the title of "Best Museum" in Time Out New York's "Best of the City 2021" as well as multiple American Alliance of Museums (AAM) awards.