Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

The painting September Road (1957-59) is a contrast of colors, pitting yellow and black flowers, birds, and warm breezes against a gray, cloud filled sky. A spider has ensnared an orange, spotted butterfly (possibly a Painted Lady or Fritillary) in a massive tree. In single file, a flock of goldfinches cross the road, as Burchfield describes them: “in autumn flight – twinkling like black–stars surrounded by a halo of light.” The study shows how Burchfield converted the musical notes of their song into ciphers for their bodies rhythmically rising and dipping in flight.

Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, Volume 60B, August 15, 1962, pp. 348-349: "We ate out lunch under the willow (I went down to the Hut and got wieners and hamburgers —) Very pleasant, a trifle on the cool order — For the first time in our lives we heard the song of a gold-finch — heretofore we had just heard the chipping song they use in flight.  This was a charming combination of trills and warbling – he kept singing over and over again, pausing but a second between outbursts. He was perched in a high branch of the pear tree —"