Woodward's Diary Comments

"Painted in 1939. Painted in studio from an earlier canvas (1932) of the same subject which was never satisfactory and which I destroyed. The old Abercrombie House of Old Deerfield."

Comments on the back of a sepia print:

"One of the old stark gray houses in Old Deerfield, sunlit front, red chimneys, blue and white sky, rose, ochre, tan foreground with no or little green. Beautifully painted green, gray, sunlit embankment stone wall."

North Adams Transcript, 07, June 1932
CLICK ON IMAGE for full article

To the Right:

An article clipping from the North Adams Transcript regarding Woodward's exhibition at the Deerfield Academy (1932). It is one of 12 oil paintings mentioned in the article and one of 20 oil paintings and 10 chalk drawings exhibited.

Christian Science Monitor, Oct. 11, 1932

"This painting is of #116 Main Street in Old Deerfield. This house was recently owned by another painter, Maniatty."

The first image of this old house made by Woodward was a waxed crayon drawing which he titled The Old Gray House, Deerfield. Many years later Woodward, in the Southwick Studio, retrieved this from the store room and made the above oil painting from it. The finishing touches, however were done in plain air sitting in the rear of the Packard Phaeton on site in Old Deerfield. ( as told by MLP)

Below is an image of a Polaroid taken of the artwork in its frame. The quality is poor but still gives a good impression of the time of year and coloring Woodward used. For those who do not know, Woodward's favorite month is November. There is a lot of symbolism to this we will save for a Scrapbook essay, but primarily November represents "retirement", a repose or pause to rest after the work (harvest) has been done. But there is also something to be said for the coloring... that red rust-like look. As if it is a patina of old, rusted metal.

An image of a Polaroid taken of From Old Deerfield.

The house as it looks today. June 2007