Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967), October in the Woods, 1938–63; Watercolor, gouache, chalk, and charcoal on joined papers, mounted on cardboard, 45 5/8 x 57 3/4 inches; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Isermann, 1997
Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, October 17, 1956
Saturday, Oct 17, 2020
To the Big Woods painting —
Another mellow sunny day – the trip down a rare pleasure – (fields of uncut corn still standing, ghostly white ivory with the sunlight filtering through it) – Concert from Toronto – a vocal piece by Alfred Diller –
How I love this woods (to my sorrow I saw that a house has been built this summer on the east slope where all the squirrel corn and dutchman’s breeches grow) –
I spent some time wandering around in the woods trying to find just the right spot to carry out my idea, which has obsessed [me] for some time (the lynx woods giving the feeling of the coming of winter into the glory of autumn.) A blue jay kept calling, and sporting in the treetops – a wild blood-tingling call.
Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, October 17, 1956