Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

This watercolor sparked Edward Root’s curiosity about meeting Charles Burchfield. Root and his wife, Grace, bought the painting in 1928 and, in early 1929, they made a studio visit with the artist. It was a fateful encounter. Root became a lifelong patron of Burchfield, eventually owning more than two dozen works, and Burchfield began showing his work regularly at the Frank K. M. Rehn Galleries in New York City and in museum exhibitions nationally. 

Burchfield was attracted to the picturesque rural landscapes outside of Buffalo, such as that in Country Blacksmith Shop. It seems like a humble scene, yet winter-to-spring was Burchfield’s favorite season, and he expressed the rush of feeling being there, at that moment, by emphasizing an array of sensations. The shop itself looks rickety, but it is also aglow with warmth in comparison to the overall cool gray tones that surround it. There is warmth of companionship within, as well. Burchfield enlivens the landscape by creating a lacy screen along the horizon from the leafless tree branches that are set in relief from the cloud patterns above. The season’s chill is moderated by a patch of yellow field to the left of the shop, that is illuminated by watery sunlight.