RSW's Diary Comments

None.

North Adams Transcript clipping

In May of 1930, RSW swapped homes with his cousin Florence Haeberle who was living in West Newton (MA) at the time with her husband and two children. Woodward was there to take part in the year long 300th anniversary of the founding of Boston, particularly the opening of the Art Exhibition at Horticultural Hall. He entered the painting New England Drama which won a Gold Medal honor from the jury.

This chalk drawing is completely unique in subject matter to all other known pieces of RSW's work. We have no other example of a water scene with a boat. However, according to letters from a friend, Helen Patch, to the Deerfield Academy's American Studies Group we know he spent some time with them on the cape where he drew several chalks, one of which, was exhibited in 1939 under the name Good Sailing; Oyster Harbors. There is also a couple of pieces of evidence suggesting Woodward also painted a scene of of man fishing from the end of a pier believed to be Boston Harbor. Perhaps the same pier to which this sail boat or moored.

Woodward's trip to Boston in April of 1930 was significant for a number of reasons... (1) he rarely stayed anywhere for any length of time due to the expense and inconvience, (2) he rarely ever attended the opening of any exhibit due to his desire for his work to sell based on its own merit, (3) these paintings are the only example we have of RSW painting an urban setting much like one you would find in the Ashcan style of NYC, and (4) with the exception of only a few other pieces of work, RSW tended to avoid any depiction of modern industrialization. We strongly suggest you visit our page devoted to the Boston Paintings story for more.