RSW's Diary Comments

You can see the young birch tree to
the left of the photo above looking north
Photo credit: F. Earl Williams

"Painted in 1942. Painting of the south view of the Heath Pasture---done from the front windows of the Pasture House---the right hand ledges showing and the young birch---but not the beech tree. November coloring. Beautiful opalescent sky. Bought by Mr. and Mrs. Roger Fenn, for the Fenn School, Concord, Mass., in April, 1951, (through Dr. Lunt)".

Editor's Note:

Even without Woodward saying so, we would have suspected that his close friend Dr Lawrence K. Lunt was somehow involved in facilitating this sale. We wouldn't be surprised if it was hanging at their home in Concord or in the lobby of the Valleyhead Sanitarium which Lunt ran. Lawrence was a long time advocate of Woodward and yet the two had never met until Woodward arrived in Boston with his distant cousin and and Woodward classmate Joseph Cowell who would be RSW's roommate at the Museum of Fine Art School in 1910.

For a reference: a little ways to the left of the "right hand ledges" is the artist's iconic Beech Tree.

Woodward's signature in the lower left hand corner

The above photograph (2010 / hi-res) and the photo to the left were both provided courtesy of the painting's current owner. We offer our many thanks and appreciation, not only for the images, but contacting us and sharing their painting.

Elanor and Roger Fenn, February 14, 1977
posing for a picture during an oral history interview
for the Concord Free Public Library archives.

We will not go into more detail about the Fenns. There is plenty of information out their for you to find. But we can help you get started if you are interested...

First, for the Fenns oral history interview of their time in Concord conducted by Renee Garrelick CLICK HERE!

Then, visit the Fenn School's History page that includes a couple of videos of former students and colleagues giving their reflections on Mr. Fenn CLICK HERE!

CREDIT FOR THE FENNS' PHOTO GOES TO:
The Concord Free Public Library- The Renee Garrelick Oral History Program Collection

A Pen and ink drawing of the Fenn School in Concord, MA on card stock