RSW's Diary Comments

Sun on the Balcony Sepia

"Painted in 1946. A very sunlit canvas of my green studio balcony table (apples, grapes, red geranium, blue bottle and dish, and lavender dish on it) backed by the green tangle of the Hubbardston apple tree (a few apples on it) pales of the sun spotted balcony railing to the right, red sugar bucket with laurel bush and grapevine, etc., to the left, the balcony floor in the foreground. One of the most graceful and unusual canvases, greatly admired. Sold on Christmas Day 1950 to Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Werly (Jane Patch Woods) of Duxbury, Mass. and Boston (address can always be gotten thru 'Woods or Patch' of Shelburne Falls.)"

A photograph of the balcony from
nearly the same perspective as the painting

Photographs of the Southwick balcony, found in RSW's personal items, show the table arranged much as it appears in the painting. Woodward loved making arrangements as it is often demonstrated in his window paintings. There is evidence that RSW sometimes used photos to work from in his studio. Some pictures appear to be identical in composition to their respective paintings. The photo to the left is not one of them. Still, it is close and is apparently a perspective he liked.

Looking east, a picture of
the balcony with the glass bottle

We included (to the right) another photograph of the balcony because it shows the glass bottle and the table set much the same way as it appears in the painting minus the metal jug.