Featured Artwork: May Heights

Grey Heights, c. 1928

There is no diary entry for this painting.

Editor's Note:

It may seem peculiar to see our example of what type of painting "May Heights" may be similar to, however, our reason for this comparison comes from Jeanette Matthews' remarks from the article below. There are two points in particular; the first is her remark on how different it is from anything else he has done previously, and second, "the very rare blue and wide horizon" which is best illustrated in Grey Heights to the right. ⮞

Furthermore, we have felt for some time now that Grey Heights was probably a spring painting (by the hints of chartreuse sprinkled throughout) and it is remembered by us primarily for how blue it is- especially the hills of the horizon.

Finally, there is also a pastel painting by a similar name (1931), only Grey is spelled with an "A", and when you search out other paintings using the term "heights" most are from the Heath Pasture and rusty late fall paintings.

The stretcher from Grey Heights

✽ Actually we do have one last point to make... Ms. Matthews could have simply got the name wrong or, the type setter heard it wrong. "May" is not very far from "Grey" in sound, as well as, where exactly is the grey in that painting besides the farm. If not for the name being on the stretcher of Grey Heights, we would be questioning the name's validity.

The Springfield Union, Sept. 24, 1927

The Springfield Union, Sept. 24, 1927,
by Jeannette C. Matthews ⮟

"...Mr. Woodward has also a picture May Heights, which shows his original landscape treatment. This one is quite different from anything he has shown before in Springfield, the use of a very rare blue and wide horizon line seeming to be the striking feature. Hereto is that same technical facility that proclaims at once the master..."

⮜ This is a very interesting event held be the Springfield League. It is a painting swap, artist and sometimes owners of certain paintings contribute to the exhibit for other participants to select what they would take home in exchange- temporarily of course. What is of special interest to us is a photograph of a painting hanging in Woodward's dining room area by the "Dickens room." If not for another article for this event we may not have ever identified it! The painting is The Rockport Quarry by Antonio Cirino. We suspected it was Rockport, MA, but we thought it may have been painted by, Anthony Thieme, founder of the Rockport school and friend of Woodward's who often participated in Springfield events.