RSW's Diary Comments

• There is no entry for this painting in the painting diary.

The Sea of Hills, 1939

Editor's Note:

If I were to make the argument that this is a stormy-sea nautical theme as well as a lone soul up against great adversity- would you disagree? Forget the large swells of hills in the distance for a minute and look at the jutting rockledge out of the earth like waves breaking in rough sea. Note the low hanging, thick clouds, the rain in the distance to the right. It is enough to make you sea sick!

In contrast, the 1939 Sea of Hills to the right is a brighter day, fewer rocks and the angle features the beech tree looking as if it is being blown back in high winds. Are these indicative of Woodward's mood at the time?

Apple Blossom Time, Beatrice

A summary of the Bagg sisters painting Apple Blossom Time story, as told by the family:

The sisters were all big fans of Woodward. Barbara Bagg Stevens, a novelist from West Springfield, MA had either visted Woodward's studio or had attended an exhibition where she seen The Greening Tree and liked it so much she commissioned RSW to paint a smaller version to fit over her fireplace in the living room. The painting was so admired by her sisters, Beatrice, Phyllis and Shirley that they too commissioned Woodward to make a copy for themselves.

⮜ Beatrice Bagg Littlefield's other painting a copy of a scene shared by her three sisters.