RSW's Diary Comments

Boston Globe, March 10, 1931, by A.J. Philpott
The caption of the above article is incorrect. The pic-
ture in the painting is Portrait of a Shadow which
also exhibited at the 1931 Myles Standish Gallery.

Editor's Note:

For years this painting was believed to be the first name of the canvas, Portrait of a Shadow. The reasons are understandable. The first is this article where the image of Portrait of a Shadow is captioned as The Little Farmhouse. The second is columnist, art critic, and director of the Syracuse MFA in New York, recalling in her column, "Art Chat," regarding a painting named The Little Farmhouse that Woodward told her "that he almost called this Portrait of a Shadow..." It is our opinion that when being interviewed by critics, Philpott and Olmsted, Woodward told them the same story and confused them both.

Our reason for this is because we have since organized all of the reviews of The Little Farmhouse, and the ones that give an actual description say it is a winter scene, including, Philpott in the article with the incorrect caption. ⮟ ⮞

Portrait of a Shadow, is not a winter scene. It is a scene of Woodward's favorite month-- November. The question remains, is it the same little farmhouse? We suspect that it is... There is more below ⮟

Portrait of a Shadow, 1931
This is a color picture of the painting this artwork
has been confused with for almost a century. We do
not blame Dr. Mark for missing it himself. Today we
the advantages of digitalized tech we can search.

Syracuse Post Standard, May 31, 1931.
Art Chat, by Anna W. Olmsted.

"I love The Little Farm House which the artist says that he almost called this Portrait of a Shadow. And the portrait of a shadow does indeed constitute the center of interest --- a nice warm, never gloomy, shadow glowing with color, and laid caressingly alongside a touch o' sun. One is conscious of warm underlay and tawny depths beneath the surface, both in this and in Fall Flame."

Syracuse Post Standard, May, 1931

"The Little Farm House almost bears a secure little personality within that harmonious cottage secluded in a knoll. A rare comment was offered by the artist himself, concerning this piece: 'Really, it is the portrait of a shadow! --- a title I nearly gave the picture.'"

North Adams Transcript, Mar. 11, 1931

The first quote by Ms. Olmsted, taken from her "Art Chat" column demonstrates the mix up quite clearly. She is referring to the actual Portrait of a Shadow she believes is really named The Little Farm House. Only 5 paintings hung at the Syracuse Museum, four oils and one pastel in May of 1931. The thing is, if Woodward "almost" called The Little Farm House, Portrait of a Shadow, than why has a painting named Portrait of a Shadow already exhibited at the Grand Central Art Galleries in New York City in January of the same year?

This is where the whole story falls apart. It is months after it hung in New York City and Woodward is still talking about it. It took us this long to sort it out because the four Myles Standish exhibits (Feb. 2x, Mar 1x, May 1x) were fluid exhibitions seemingly changing routinely. We do not know all of the paintings that hung or when they hung. Portrait of a Shadow is NOT on any list for Myles in 1931 but its picture appears in an review that contradicts itself (Philpott).

We do not know why the story amused Woodward so much to tell it to two art critics. We also do not understand why they found it so interesting or why Woodward did not make a single correction on any of the clippings which he was often prone to do. What we do know is that the ⮞ North Adams Transcript, in its article on the Myles Standish show describes, The Little Farmhouse, as "a rural snow scene" and Woodward did not give them an interview to confuse the matter.