RSW's Diary Comments

"Prior to1930. A large painting with dark opening into the woods through birch trees, made up Hog Hollow Road at back of Uncle Bert's orchard below "old barn."

Clarification on the image above:

The image used on this page is not an oil painting. It is clearly a chalk drawing. Note the squggley lines used to fill in the background. Such lines would not be found in an oil painting. With that being said this image matches the description given in RSW's diary comments. Moreover, there appears to be two names associated with this image, this painting, and At the Edge of the Pines.

At the Edge of the Pines is not listed in the exhibition list. It may be that the chalk drawing is At the Edge of the Pines, the name on the back of the photograph. It is rare, but there are a couple of black and white photos of chalk drawings, Vermont Barns is an example. But Vermont Barns exhibited 3 times in 2 years, thus the image.

Click on image to see full version

To the Right: Boston Globe, 1926 by A. J. Philpott

Boston Post, Thursday, Dec. 9, 1926

"An extremely effective painting is called At the Edge of the Woods ... a clump of graceful white birch with vivid yellow leaves stand at each side of an opening that leads seemingly into an impenetrable forest."

Springfield Union, Springfield, Mass., April 23, 1928 by Jeannette C. Matthews

"... such a picture as At the Edge of the Woods is usually spoken of as a decorative landscape, but to me it is like the illustration for a fairy book. It is the imaginative quality, even more than the light, color, rhythm or pictorial quality in such a work that 'gets you' ..." See full article below

A review of the 1928 J.H. Miller Exhibition

Springfield Art League's Fine Exhibition

Transcribed from Springfield Art League's Fine Exhibition, (Right):

"Robert Strong Woodward's At the Edge of the Woods is a striking conception, its contrast of brilliantly lighted foreground and somber interior somewhat unconvincing as a literal transcript of nature, but with decorative merit as well as masterly rendering of detail."