RSW's Diary Comments

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

North Adams Transcript,
7 June, 1932

To the Right:

An article clipping from the New Hamphire Transcript regarding RSW's exhibition at the Deerfield Academy (1932) "Funny Little House" is not mentioned specifically but was one of the 10 'crayon drawing' noted (highlighted) at the end of the article. To see the whole article, simply click on the image.

We believe we have identified the location of this scene on Charlemont Road just beyond the Buckland town line.

This chalk drawing is arguably one of Woodward's most unique pieces. It is technically unfinished because the artist did not color in the areas of dirt using instead the color of the brown board he drew his chalks to complete the composition. We know from reviews of other chalks where he used the same practice, December Farm; A Winter Sketch and In Old Boston, that this was what constituted "modern art" at the time.

The 1932 Deerfield exhibition was a special show for both the school and Woodward. The paintings were used to' decorate the new dormintory on campus and was so successful, Headmaster Boyden, asked Woodward if the show could be extended through to July 3 for the reunion and Alumni weekends after classes had ended.