Featured Artwork: Woodland Mystery

"Painted 1951 Feb. or Mar. Next to last painting made before illness. Sold Aug. 1952 to Mr. and Mrs. Winfred Rhoades of Sudbury, Mass."

Editor's Note:

Evening Mists, 1945

There has been some confusion over this painting's name caused by a correction made on the back of a sepia print in Woodward's hand. However, while Woodward may have initially forgot the name of this painting, recalling it as, "Woodland Mist," it clearly shows he corrected it. Dr. Mark, using caution, also added an artwork page by that name but we have eliminated it because it was only causing more confusion in the already difficult "Winter Evening Stream" genre. Our feeling today, is that there is no evidence other than the name correction on the sepia.

The name corrected on the Sepia

Furthermore, there is another painting of the same scene with a different name, Evening Woodland that has no mention in the artist painting diary. We now believe that Woodward is crossing signals with these two paintings. We now believe this canvas was made AFTER Evening Woodland, which exhibited at the 1951 annual Southern Vermont Artist Association in September. So the question becomes, "Did Woodward paint this canvas in 1951 or did he make it in 1952 the year he retired?" We believe it is the latter because he says as much in his diary comments. We offer so much more detail in the artwork page for Evening Woodland. We suggest you open that page by clicking the link below...

Poem by Winfred Rhoades about the Robert
Strong Woodward painting All Eternity
published in the book "Tributes"

Mr. and Mrs. Rhoades are known to have owed 4 paintings. Their other three are as follows:

⮞  Autumn Flame sold in 1942
⮞  All Eternity sold in 1945
⮞  Summer Peace sold in 1945

The couple became close friends with the artist. The husband, Winfred, was a writer much in the vein of what you would "self-help" today. He spent time as a clergyman graduating from the then Hartford Theological Seminary. Uplifting and inspiring was his intent and he just simply admired Woodward's persevering spirit. We imagine the two connected over philosophy, a passion of both men.

There is a fitting end to the artist career, that he would make this painting, one of his favorite subjects throughout his career, for his friends.