Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

As his senior year at the Cleveland School of Art was winding down, Burchfield wandered through Wade Park and Lake View Cemetery observing daily changes of the weather, bird songs, croaking toads, shifting sunlight, leafing trees, and hazy skies. In this rendition of a typical May meander, a white-hot sunburst, tall poplar, watery blue-gray cloud bank, wind-tossed trees, and house are dissolved, literally, by the watery medium. Diagonal streaks of rain simulated by brushstrokes of water on top of the thin layer of pigment preserve the sensation of the exact moment of the brief shower. The moist air and subtle colors are described in his journal entry for May 8, 1916:

     A rainy sky at morning 

     Leaves coming out fast – rich green against the grey-violet sky — A cool breeze comes up — the sight of fresh windblown trees — air clears at early afternoon a wonderful effect — the sunlight is blinding white; trees are blue violet deep with brilliant YG spotted foliage & a maze of white highlights on the leaves which fills the air with an elusive white light — At sunsetting there are wonderful effects on the sun bursting thru trees cutting out whole areas of trunk & foliage —

     Night hawk calls in the cool windy twilight — wind at night clattering in leaves like rain –