Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

86. A.M. in my studio, studying the picture – I finally come to the regretful decision that the boat must come out, that it cluttered up the center of the scene, and that I must license, and push it back so that only the bow extends beyond the Monarch elevators – I made roughly these changes, and it seemed to be a step forward in the solution of the work – The slow painful progress of this picture is galling to me.

     Evening, Valentine out with some of his work for criticism & to see what I have been doing. His sincerity & honesty are such that I wish his work were more uniformly good – a pleasant evening.

May 28, 1935 –

     A rainy day. Warm, the breeze soft & moist- How wonderful it seems, after the dry weather!

June 4, 1935 – Tuesday –

     “Men may seem detestable as joint stock-companies and nations; knaves, fools, and murderers there may be; men may have mean and meagre faces; but man in the ideal, is so noble and so sparkling, such a grand and glowing creature, that over any ignominious blemish in him all his fellow creatures should run to throw their costliest robes. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ But this august dignity I treat of, is not the dignity of kings and robes, but that abounding dignity which has no robed investiture. Thou