RSW's Diary Comments

Rockmarge, the Moore Estate
Pride's Crossing, Beverly, MA

"Painted in winter of 1940. A composite picture I made up in the studio of a typical New England village street, from Buckland church canvas, church and house of Marlboro church canvas, overhanging branches of Halifax elm. Made for Grand Central Art Gallery patron and sent down there but they didn't buy it. Exhibited at Easthampton and Northfield and then sent in June, 1941, down to Rockmarge, Prides Crossing among many others for Mrs. Moore's inspection. She chose New England and it hangs in her beautiful house, Rockmarge, at Prides Crossing."

RSW's signature, lower left corner

For Provenance click here for The Story of Marlboro , VT church paintings.

Enduring New England is a similar painting of a different size.

In 1940 RSW made this painting as a composite of the Marlboro Church in the center, the tree overhang in the \painting of the Mary Lyon Church on the left, and the tree overhang of the Halifax House painting on the right. He titled this painting simply New England. See highlighted images below.

The tree hanging in
Mary Lyon's Church

The Marlboro Church and House
of Enduring New England

The Elm branches of
Grace of Years

It was very unusual for RSW to make composite paintings from parts of other paintings. Of the ones we know of most all were painted between 1937 and 1945. There is another composition painting, Winter Design, painted much earlier in his career. Sometime in the 1920's. One of the reasons RSW is painting composition paintings is the result of it becoming fashionable to hang panoramic paintings over one's fireplace to better fit the space. In most all cases, RSW painted primary in a nearly square perspective, such as, 25" x 30" or even squarer 27" x 30".