Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

In 1962, this season transition was an “idea note for a painting not yet started” that was inspired by the Don Quixote-like novel by Belgian author Charles de Coster (1827-1879). Burchfield wrote how it illustrated an aspect of: “‘The Legend of the Glorious Adventures of Tyll Ulenspiegel,’ which contained an allegory representing the eternal struggle between Lucifer, the light-bringer or Spring, and Winter.  The ‘Split in the Wall of Winter Ice’ is the beginning of the end for Winter.” — Nancy Weekly