Quick Reference

Time Period:
Painted in 1933

Location:
Williamsburg, Mass.

Medium:
Oil on Canvas

Type:
Landscape

Category:
Roads & Streets
Landscape & Views

Size:
30 X 40

Exhibited:
Unknown

Purchased:
Mr. And Mrs. Aaron C. Bagg

Provenance:
NA

Noteworthy:

Bagg's former summer farm on road out of Williamsburg to Conway

Related Links

Featured Artwork: From Wind'll Blow Hill

RSW's Diary Comments


"Painted in 1933. Painted from Bagg's former summer farm on road out of Williamsburg to Conway and bought by them, Mr. And Mrs. Aaron C. Bagg, 72 Fairfield Ave, Holyoke, Mass. when still wet on the easel."



Additional Notes

There is some mystery to this painting. First let us say that the Bagg family were very good customers of Woodward and had purchased several paintings from the artist. There are several Bagg family members...

Let us start with Ernest Newton Bagg, an art critic for the Springfield Union. He critiqued at least three paintings of Woodward's in the early years of his career. We believe he was the father of brothers, Dr. Edward Bagg and attorney Aaron Bagg. There is no record of Ernest ever buying a painting but the brothers purchased several.

Dr. Bagg's wife, novelist, Barbara Bagg Stevens, purchased the original Apple Blossom Time painting and commissioned three more for each of the couple's daughters, Beatrice, Phyllis, and Shirley. Beatrice is on record as having purchased a painting in her own right. The only daughter we know of to buy a painting.


We do not know exactly what road Woodward is referring to that goes from Williamsburg, MA to Conway. Conway is pretty much due north of Williamsburg but there is also a more indirect eastern route. Is it possible Woodward is referring to the old Henhawk Trail off Nash Hill Road in Williamsburg? It is hard to say but Henhawk is an ancient dirt road that connected several 19th century farm properties (as early as 1856) to the town center. However, the road/trail dead-ends just over the town line into Conway. The road in the painting above is clearly dirt, but that was far more commonplace then than it is today. It is very possible that the former farm is that of the father Ernest Bagg where Edward and Aaron grew up.