Featured Artwork: Late Autumn

Apple Blossom Time (mid 1930s) is another
painting once owned by novelist Barbara Bagg. Her and
sisters were all fans, so much so, Barbara commission-
ed the artist to make a version of a painting she had seen
at an exhibit of the Greening Tree on the Keach Farm.
She then had him paint three more for her sisters!

"Painted in 1928-9. Made in Griswoldville in late fall when I was living over there, of maple tree grove with fallen leaves about the base. Taken by the veteran dealer, Mr. Gill of Springfield, to sell, and after more than a year, learned to whom he had sold it, to Mrs. Barbara Bagg Stevens, the novelist, of 254 Rogers Ave.. West Springfield. (Mrs. J.E.) sister of Mrs. Littlefield who owns The Sea of Hills."

Comments in a notebook by RSW:

"Sold Nov. 29, 1933 for $400--33 1/3 of com+ $300.00"

Editor's Note:

Note under "Exhibitions" in the Quick Reference section that a painting by this name hung at the 1944 Myles Standish Hotel along with twenty-eight other paintings. We believe this is a grand finale of sorts. The hotel's art gallery was Woodward's first representative shortly after the hotel opened in 1928. The gallery hosted several of his biggest and most reviewed shows in Boston (1929, 1931). Unfortunately, the famous yet ill- fated hotel ultimately could not overcome the stock market crash in October 1929 and the long, protracted depression that followed, leading to the rising tensions that would lead to the Second World War. It would be sold to Boston University to be converted into the school's first dormitory.

Woodward often left paintings to hang in the hotel's dining room and lobby for long, extended periods of time throughout its life. It was as good a business relationship as the artist ever had. In 1944, he held an exhibition first in February with twenty of Woodward's favorite oils and six chalk drawings, a number of them on loan from their homes. Then, in May, the show in which this painting was hung. We feel certain that given the relationship with Ms. Stevens and her family, Woodward asked her if the painting could be borrowed for this special exhibition and that there is no other painting by the same name.

A capture of the handbill for the Gill fine art
gallery from the Historic New England website.

Recently we have been asking questions about why Woodward did not have representation in Springfield (MA) throughout his career. In the 1920s, J.H. Miller hosted three exhibitions by the artist. In fact, they facilitated the sale of three paintings to the benefactor and the current director of the Springfield Museum, George "Walter" Vincent Smith. However, 1928 is the last record of Woodward having representation in Springfield. There was the Pynchon Gallery show in 1929, but we learned that it was a temporary gallery or what we might call today a "pop-up" event specifically to feature his chalk drawings. He continued to enter paintings to the annual Springfield Art League event and routinely held bi-annual events at the Williston Academy in Northampton, as well as in Westfield. So what gives?

A colleague argued that Springfield wasn't New York or Boston, and while there is no arguing with that... Springfield is no slouch by any means. At the time it was probably one of the wealthiest cities of its size in the country per square capita. Then we also learn there was a long-established "fine art gallery" in the city run by James Gill, yet we only have a handful of paintings to hang in its gallery, and those are mostly from Woodward's painting diary. Perhaps, when the American Studies Group at the Deerfield Academy began to compile the exhibition list, the Gill Gallery was either overlooked or no one had their records to provide them with information.

The picture of this painting was sent to us by it's current owner (July 2016) after having discovered our website and this page dedicated to their painting. We are very grateful and appreciate their contribution.