RSW's Diary Comments

Through Winter Pines, Sepia

The following diary comments are attributed to a painting titled, Through Winter Woods, however, we believe this to be incorrect. There is no other record (but in the diary) of a painting by this name and so we believe RSW incorrectly recalled its name:

"Painted in 1933. A sled tracked, woodland winter road, running through typical N. E. woods of pine, hemlock. laurel etc. Painted the winter before my last fire. (Painted from my big sled which takes wheelchair, easel, et al) on the wood road just back of Burnham's cottage (now March's cottage beside the shop property). One of my most perfectly painted canvases of which I am truly proud. Bought around 1934 by Mrs. Lucius Potter, 87 Franklin St. Greenfield, Mass. Always pleased it hung in one of Greenfield's most beautiful homes. But when in 1946 Mrs. Lucius Potter from the studio bought The Green Bottle and the Barn (which see) I learned she had recently given it to a dear friend who fell in love with it, whose house is in Hartford, Ct, I believe. So I am not certain of its eventual ownership but data could probably be obtained from Mrs. Potter."

A close up of the signature in the lower right
does NOT have the trademark red "S" most common
of his signature after 1922. We cannot explain why.

This is a great find, brought to us by its current owner. Found in the attic of her grandmother many years ago, the painting is featured prominently in the living above the fireplace.

There are a number of oddities related to this painting worth noting. For one thing, Woodward did not sign this painting with his trademarked red "S". Though not an entirely usual for paintings sold direct from his studio, this piece exhibited numerous times in the year it was painted.

The name on the back of the stretcher

Another oddity is that it is painted in the impasto style more common to RSW's early career and up to 1928 or so. In his diary comments, he proudly remarked "One of my most perfectly painted canvases." A quick check of the time period showed that there were a couple of other instances in which he used the technique but the number is small by comparison to his finer blended technique he would prefer in the second half of his career.

Close up of the impasti style

Close up of the impasti style

Close up of the impasti style