RSW's Diary Comments

A picture of the Hiram Woodward home and
studio after the fire. It is taken from the back of the
property looking west. A complete loss, the large stone
fireplace you see was built to be the studio fireplace...

"Painted in 1934. A large, dramatic painting made from the roadside at Manchester near Mr. Naughten's. About the last canvas finished before my fatal fire and the first thing I asked about, when told of the fire by Bob Haeberle in Greenfield, that evening."

Editor's Note:

Woodward points out in his painting diary entry that Mount Equinox in April was the last painting completed before his tragic fire. It had already exhibited at the Williston Academy between June 1st and the 16th. There rarely are exhibitions during holidays such as the 4th of July, so when lightning struck the home on July 3rd, the studio was full of paintings. Thanks to his fast acting neighbors, all of the paintings were saved. Woodward himself was not at the home. He was out running errands.

New York Herald Tribune, Sun. Sept. 2, 1934
by Royal Cortissoz

New York Herald Tribune, Sun. Sept. 2, 1934
by Royal Cortizzos

⮜ "... Mount Equinox in April, it is called. There are trees and fields in the foreground but the factor that makes the picture is the grand bulk of the mountain, one of nature's monuments in line and mass. It is an austere picture and a good one, save, perhaps; for a rather too abrupt transition from the nearer details to the bare simplicity that looms beyond. Now its austerity is softened, however, by the peculiar friendliness of sentiment which in some indefinable manner is always present in the Vermont scene, thick webs of trees veiling the ruggedness of the hills, and, playing over hill and valley, an incessant enchantment of light and shade.'

New York Times, Feb. 10, 1935 by Howard Devree

"...The Mount Equinox in April gives testimony to the closeness of the artist's observance of light and shadow and the bluish undertones in the roughed-up snow in the foreground traces of the picturesque and even of the sentimental are the more easily forgiven for the assurance of the very honest well-springs of motivation in these relatively low-keyed scenes."

Greenfield Gazette-Recorder,
June 24, 1935

Letter-to-the-Editor, Greenfield Gazette by:
"J.F., Heath, Jun. 24, 1935

"Curiously enough it was the very pictures I had already seen that grappled my attention most unflinchingly and held it- The Equinox, vibrating with the proud consciousness that it is a mountain, betraying (in waxing and waning tones translatable into musical chords) its innermost structure." ⮟ ⮞

Editor's Note:

We do not know who "J.F., Heath" is but we are working on it. Still, this commentary by this unknown is awfully good. It is as if they see who Woodward is or they know him and his values. There are three references in this "criticism" that spoke to the artist values directly. The first is the reference to "musical chords," the second is the remark regarding the "Tang period" (a Chinese dynasty), and finally, "American Gothic" (distinction given to the country's most well known work of art by the same name). It does not hurt that the author also took a shot at the "so-called Paris school." In Woodward own hand is note written under the clipping:

Hand written by RSW on the page :
"A good type of criticism is so rare - but this one is of the
sort which pleases me. Don't you think it excellent?"

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The "Before" and "After" restoration of this painting..

This painting was bought back by the estate from an auction in 2009. It was in very poor condition and sent to the Williamstown Conservation Center, Williamstown, MA, for restoration.

⮜ To the right: we made an animated GIF of the restoration. A sort of, before and after, visual demonstration.

On this art work page in the old version of the website, Dr. Mark reported that there is a 25" x 30" version of this painting with the same name. We lost Dr. Mark in March of 2020 and so we cannot question him on his source for this information. He COULD be the source having seen it during his time working for Woodward in his youth. We have not made an artwork page for it...