Charles Burchfield (American, 1893–1967) Country Church in June (Country Churchyard)

Signed and dated 'C BURCHFIELD/ 1918' bottom right; also titled, dated, and inscribed with dimensions verso, watercolor and gouache on joined paper
Sheet size: 27 7/16 x 20 1/8 in. (69.7 x 51.1cm)

Provenance

Frank K. M. Rehn Galleries, New York, New York.
Dr. Theodore Leshner, Brooklyn, New York.
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence A. Fleischman, Detroit, Michigan.
Kennedy Galleries, New York, New York.
Private Collection, Huntington Woods, Michigan.
Christie's, New York, sale of May 22, 1980, lot unknown.
Acquired directly from the above sale.
Kennedy Galleries, Inc., New York, New York.
Private Collection, New Jersey.
Richard York Gallery, New York, New York.
Acquired directly from the above in 1989.
Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold and Sandy Rifkin, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

Exhibited

"Early Water Colors [sic] of Charles Burchfield," Phillips Memorial Gallery, Washington, D.C., November 5, 1933-February 15, 1934.
"Charles Burchfield: Early Watercolors," Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York, April 24-May 19, 1963 no. 41.
"Burchfield's Seasons," Kennedy Galleries, New York, New York, April 28-May 28, 1982, no. 8 (illustrated in color in the accompanying exhibition catalogue).
"The Paintings of Charles Burchfield: North by Midwest," Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Ohio, March 23-May 18, 1997; and National Museum of American Art (now Smithsonian American Art Museum), Washington D.C., September 26-January 25, 1998 (traveling exhibition).

Literature

John W. Straus, Charles E. Burchfield: An Interview with the Artist, and Account and Analysis of His Production, and a Catalogue of His Paintings, an Honors Thesis, Harvard University, Boston, 1942, no. 321.
Joseph S. Trovato, Charles Burchfield, Catalogue of Paintings in Public and Private Collections, Museum of Art, Munson-Williams Proctor Institute, Utica, New York, 1970, no. 449, p. 78.

Note

We wish to thank Ms. Nancy Weekly, Burchfield Scholar, Head of Collections & Charles Cary Rumsey Curator at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo, New York for her assistance in cataloging this lot. A copy of a research report dated October 26, 2022 compiled by Ms. Weekly will accompany this Lot.

On July 25, 1918, Charles Burchfield was inducted into the U.S. Army, which explains the limited number of works from that period. Although dated from 1918 the present work may posteriorly depict impressions of a two-day trip which Burchfield took on November 24 and 25, 1917, when he travelled to Jefferson, Ohio through Sherwoods, a landscape filled with several isolated churches, which reflect the mood and details of Country Church in June: "a feeling of remoteness" he felt as he listened to “the Country Church bell" and later saw "the church itself a white ghost in the white graveyard." Such haunting feelings may have persisted, and therefore commanded the execution of the work, as in June 1918 the artist recalled his WWI years: "June found me enchanted by blind-eyed houses and magic forests. The Army came closer and music commenced to have a sad faraway sound and I thought of my childhood days when flowers used to have thoughts of an evening at the sound of the church bells."

In overall good condition. The sheet is laid down to a slightly larger piece of cardboard, itself affixed to the verso of the mat via thick brown tape running along the entire top and right outer edges. To remain the work intact and safe, it was decided to leave as is. Based on the bottom right corner, which we have clear access to, we consider the outer edges even, and in very good condition without evidence of tears, losses or repairs. The sheet is lightly toned, with minor discoloration in the upper right corner. Light scratching in the white sky at upper left, which is part of the artist's working method. Judging from the visible seams, the work is a collection of three assembled sheets: one along the bottom edge, another along the left edge, the main sheet being where the church is painted. The verso presents well, and bears the artist's original writings.

To request additional information, please contact Raphaël Chatroux at rchatroux@freemansauction.com

Frame: 38 x 30 5/8 x 13/4 in.