RSW's Diary Comments

By the Broken Wall, 1941
The stonewall seen from Frost on the Window.

"Painted winter of 1941-2. The north window of the Heath Pasture House, showing top of lavender bureau, 'Mae West' lamp and accessories, against the winter view outside. Used as illustration for announcement cards for my N.,Y. Grand Central Art Gallery Exhibition, March, 1942. Sold, March, 1944, to Mr. and Mrs. W. Gardner Kuniholm, 109 Cherry St., Gardner, Mass."

Editor's Notes:

Another artist "north window" in a place Woodward used as a cabin-slash-studio where he regularly worked. This window is in the rear of the pasture studio. You can see the garage to the left in the painting. It is also the view of the stonewall Woodward painted in several pieces of work.

This painting was purchased from the 1944 Mr. & Mrs. Roger Smith Exhibition. A private exhibition of remarkable painting arranged by F. Earl Williams. Go to the bottom of this page for more...

Baltimore Oriole and its nest.
Image courtesy of the Illinois Raptor Center

Note there is a Baltimore Oriole's nest (which hangs from its branch) resting on the front left portion of the lavender bureau. It was found after nesting time on the Burnt Hill road into the pasture top studio. We heard these songs while working filling in the ruts in the road left from mud season during the early spring before retrieving this nest.

To hear the song of the Orioles CLICK HERE. The link will open a new tab to another website.

Painting was dubbed with the name "The Mae West Lamp" by a friend of the artist because of the shape of the lamp.

This painting is privately owned. We wish to thank the owners for opening their home to use so that we may bring you these beautiful images. Be sure to scroll down to read MLP's recollection of this painting and its original owner.

A Close up the "Mae West" Lamp

National Cyclopedia taped to the back of the frame.

A close up of RSW's signature

The label of the frame company

A close up of the artwork title

Photo by F. Earl Williams of this Woodward
painting in the home of the owner.

A Jan. 1961 photo of Waiyno Kuniholm
in his Gardner, MA home.

Photo by F. Earl Williams
of this painting in the Southwick studio.

A Recollection by Doc Purinton:

After the sale of Frost on the Window to Mr. Kunniholm, as a young chaffeur and personal attendant, I drove Mr. Woodward to Gardner to visit Mr. Kunniholm and his wife. I carried RSW from the Packard into the living room. His intent in the visit was to be certain that the painting had been properly hung. (It was.) Mr. Kunniholm and F. Earl Williams at that time both lived on Cherry Street. Following the Kunniholm visit we went to the Williams' home for supper.....meat loaf.....and after supper saw a color slide show of Mr. William's recent air plane tour up and down over the Conneciticut River. mlp

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The 1944 Mr. & Mrs. Roger Smith Exhibition:

April Sun and Frost on the Window hanging
in the home of Roger Smith for a private exhibition

To the right: is a photograph of April Sun, along with Frost on the Window hanging on the wall for a private exhibition in the home of Mr. & Mrs. Roger Smith of Gardner, MA, December, 1944. The picture was taken by Woodward friend, educator and amateur photographer F. Earl Williams. Williams was once the principal of Gardner High School and so we believe he had something to do with arranging this rare exhibition of Woodward's paintings in a private residence. The three missing photographs are New England Impressions*, Winter Farms, and From the North Window*. The paintings photographed are as follows in pairs: April Sun and Frost on the Window, Portrait of a Shadow and From a Mountain Farm*, A Winter Song* and The Big Chimney*, there is the chalk drawing The Road Home, the oil A Winter Afternoon and other chalk Mountain Meadow together and then Tranquility, and The Little Red Barn* as singles.

And what an exhibition! Worthy of any New York or Boston Gallery, it featured a number of Woodward's most exhibited editorial paintings going back as far as 1935. [noted by asterisk*] Two of the paintings hanging at the exhibit, A Winter Song and New England Impression previously hung at the 1939 Golden Gate Exposition in San Francisco and the 1939 New York World's Fair respectively.