Edward Willis Redfield (American, 1869–1965) Abandoned Road

Signed 'E.W. REDFIELD' bottom right; also titled and signed on upper stretcher verso, oil on canvas
28 x 32 in. (71.1 x 81.3cm)
Executed circa 1925.

Provenance

Jim's of Lambertville, Lambertville, New Jersey.
Acquired directly from the above in 2006.
Private Collection, Carversville, Pennsylvania.

Footnote:

Note

Executed at the height of the artist's career in the mid-1920s, Abandoned Road (presented here at auction for the first time) captures a crisp, beautiful winter's day in the countryside after a snowstorm has passed. As a horse-drawn sleigh glides down a narrow snow-covered path, the gentle flow of a nearby stream stretches into the distance. Unlike the artist's typically muted winter scenes (see Lots 65 and 79), this work bursts with life through warm, vivid colors and a bold, lush impasto that recalls the energy typically at play in Redfield's spring scenes. Here, the dazzling blue sky contrasts beautifully with the white patches of snow in the foreground, while the brilliant yellow and lime green foliage of the trees dots the canvas with a vibrancy that suggests the long-awaited end of winter and the swift return to life.

Condition report:

Frame: 39 1/4 x 43 x1/4 x 2 1/2 in.

The unlined canvas in excellent original condition, with a superb, beautifully-preserved impasto throughout. Examination under UV light does not reveal any sign of inpainting. We notice some parts of the canvas are bare (untouched), especially in the foliage: this is part of the artist's working method, and not a sign of abrasions. With a very slight ripple in the canvas upper right corner.