RSW's Diary Comments

Tangled Branches Sepia

"Painted in 1918 or 19. One of my very early canvases of note, painted the year or so after I received the First 'Hallgartan Prize, 1918, at the New York National Academy of Design for the 40 x 50 Between Setting Sun and Rising Moon, a canvas of similar theme and subject matter, moonlit, winter wood interior, painted at my first old studio, 'Redgate', before it burned. Sent to the 'Concord (Mass) Art Association' Exhibition in 1920 where it received' Honorable Mention' (the only prize at the time, given oil paintings at that exhibition) and considerable newspaper note. Soon bought by Mr. Harrison for the permanent possession of the Forbes Library in Northampton, Mass., through the influence of Mrs. Charles Anni Putter, wife of the noted librarian. This painting still hangs in the Forbes Library as far as I know, but I fear it had darkened considerably (and originally it was a dark canvas) as have some of my earliest works, because I didn't fully understand at the time the darkening dangers of certain driers and varnish mediums, which the noted painter Gardner Symons advised me to use at that time. I am sorry about this."

Purchased in August, 1922, by the trustees of the Forbes Library in Northampton, Mass.. There is no listing of this painting in the library's publication of Art Objects in their possession however it was recently discovered by a local collector of "Woodwards" that the painting is in storage in the basement of the library.

"The collection in the art department of the Forbes library has been enriched by the acquisition of a painting of a moonlit wood interior entitled Tangled Branches done by Robert Strong Woodward, the Shelburne Falls Artist who has had a phenomenal rise in the field of oil painting."

This painting was awarded the first class at the exhibition of the Concord Art Association in 1920 with some of the most noted painters on the jury, including Redfield, Cyrus Dallin, Marie D. Page and others." (Forbes Library is located in Northampton, MA.)

This painting has recently been donated to the Buckland Public Library, Upper Street, Buckland Center, Mass.

Below is a handwritten note by RSW regarding Tangled Branches:

Tangled Branches Letter page 1

Tangled Branches Letter page 2