RSW's Diary Comments

Greenfield Gazette Recorder
Saturday, November 30, 1928

• Woodward did not keep records of the pastels he called "chalk drawings."

Editor's Note:

There are four articles linked to the exhibition held in the home of Miss Anna Koch of Greenfield, MA. Two clippings announced the event with dates and times, the third is a letter to the editor of the Greenfield Gazette Recorder just following the show, and the last is its summation, mostly listing what paintings were bought and who bought them a week after.

This painting, Christian Hill was listed under another exhibit at the Koch home which turns out to be an error. Dr. Mark listed this and five other named paintings as its own, separate, exhibit the following year in 1929. Enlarging the article to the right, you will see it is marked "11/30 1928," on the upper right hand side..

We have a policy of not creating an art work page unless we have something concrete to establish its existence. This pastel clearly exists because of the writer's review.

What strikes us most about the Gazette Recorder article is that it is dated a week before the exhibit, and yet, the reporter has seen the work prior. This leads us to ask if the exhibit was set up a week before it opened rather than the week of... or did the reporter get special access to the paintings at the artist's studio?
The three other articles below ⮟

North Adams Transcript
Monday, Nov. 26, 1928

Greenfield Recorder Gazette
Sunday, Dec. 7, 1928

North Adams Transcript
Monday, Dec. 10, 1928

A screen capture of Christian Hill today

⮜ Christian Hill is an area in north Colrain (MA) near the Vermont line. There is a very old church there that holds a traditional Christmas Eve service with wood burning stove, candles, and rare a old fashion organ you might find in some museum that is worth the drive. It truly takes you to another time. Other than that, we cannot imagine what the subject could be. Is it the hill itself or some vantage point of the hill. Is it one of the many dirt roads (some exist to this day) with some wonderful perspective. We cannot say, there are not many examples of Colrain in the artist's oeuvre. Woodward generally stayed away from painting the area out of his respect and appreciation for artist, Gardner Symons. Gardner was instrumental to Woodward at the start of his career. It was Gardner who encouraged him to enter his work to the 1918 National Academy of Design where it was accepted by jury selection. Gardner had lived in Colrain for many years and painted many scenes of the area. To Woodward, it was his territory.

It is perhaps equally important that we point out that at this time in Woodward's career, he is making 4 pastels to every oil. The reason is, he is suffering neuropathy in his hands that does not give him the dexterity he needs to handle a brush. This phase in his career leads up to his famous 1929 Pynchon Gallery exhibit featuring his pastels along side oils canvases of the same subject.

A picture of the front of Koch's Grocery Store,
c. 1925 from the Scrapbook page Abbie Putnam Labelle
and her recollection of RSW and her mother, Lena
Putnam, who worked for Woodward for many years.

⮜  The N.A.D. is the National Academy of Design

We do not know who Miss Anna Koch was exactly. We believe she was related to the family that own a grocery store, Koch's Food Store, in Greenfield, and another location in Turner Falls, MA. There could be more. We are looking into it. The exhibition held in her home in 1928 is not the only reference we have of Woodward's relationship with her. She is mentioned in his 1932 personal diary...

RSW's 1932 personal diary, March 12th

"Very cold with wind, but clear. Packed two pictures for N.A.D. taking all morning. "Out of N.E. Soil" and
"Grandmother's Lamp". Greenfield in afternoon with Mother and Julia. Mother to Moore's while Fabian
and I bought Julia a dress! Saw Mrs. Koch and Mrs. Tullis on business. Letters all evening."

His mother is Mary Strong. Her and Woodward's father Orion Leroy (O.L.) moved back to Massachusetts in the late 1920s and where living with their son by 1932. His father having gone blind for some unknown reason. Julia is one of his many cousins. The two were very close. She even worked from him for a period of time.