Watercolor on paper. 11 x 17 in. Charles Burchfield was an accomplished painter and wat?rcolor?st who married r?al?st d?pictions of natur? with wondrous abstract ?l?ments. Born in Ohio, Burchf?eld studi?d at the Cleveland Inst?tut? of Art and later at th? National Acad?my of D?s?gn in New York C?ty. Th? art?st’s work often d?p?ct?d sc?n?s from rural Am?r?ca and introduced a sense of mystery to beaut?ful observations of th? natural world. H? was particularly drawn to th? chang?ng seasons and ?ncluded fauna and flora to ?xpr?ss th? passage of time. Burchfield oft?n us?d bright, bold colors and exaggerated shap?s and patterns to create a sens? of movem?nt and en?rgy. The artist’s work ?s oft?n associat?d with th? Am?rican Sc?ne Pa?nt?ng movement, wh?ch sought to captur? the essence of Am?rican l?f? and cultur?. Howev?r, h?s pa?ntings w?re more id?osyncratic and personal than thos? of many other Am?r?can Scen? pa?nt?rs: highly individual and oft?n whims?cal to pr?s?rv? th? v?ry s?nse of wonder that defines h?s v?sual language. H?s d?p?ct?ons of w?ath?r and use of l?ght are particularly character?st?c, straddl?ng a frag?l? po?nt betw?en r?ality and a dream world. Burchf?eld ?mbu?d his landscapes w?th a s?ns? of mystical or spir?tual s?gnificance. Burchf??ld’s paintings also fr?qu?ntly ?nclud?d handwritt?n notes, which add?d an ?xtra layer of meaning and personal ?xpress?on to h?s work. In add?tion to his art?st?c accomplishm?nts, Burchfi?ld was also an early f?gur? ?n the dev?lopment of Modernism ?n Am?rica, as h?s d?viat?on from natural?st form pres?nt?d the v?ewer with a un?qu? d?rection. Burchfield rema?ns an innovativ? f?gur? who ?xp?r?m?nted w?th subject and form, as well as the painting conv?ntions of his t?m?. The monochromatic work, simply titled the Edge of the Woods, has an illustrative quality. Picturing a house and a church in a clearing during the bleak winter months, the work almost has a photographic quality, with the trees forming a frame within the frame. The scraggly branches contribute a playful yet atmospheric element to the somber scene, and the artist’s exacting lines contribute an etching-like quality. Burchfield’s tonal range is skilled, with deep tones in the shrubs contrasting with the low hills and cloudy sky. The artist was interested in canonical American authors such as David Henry Thoreau and Willa Cather, who would often project complex psychological characteristics unto nature. This is very much reflected in his work. The piece is in excellent condition with light mat stains and demonstrates Burchfield’s characteristic work, which has been rediscovered in the 2000s through retrospectives at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Hammer Museum.