September Sunlight

After studying at the Cleveland Institute of Art from 1912 to 1916, Charles Burchfield moved to Buffalo, New York in 1921, where he spent the rest of his life.  Although he never identified himself with an artistic movement, Burchfield is considered one of the founders of American Scene Painting, a name used to describe artists of the twenties and thirties who felt that they should portray American life in a realistic style that could be easily understood.

September Sunshine is characteristic of Burchfield’s late period in which he created ecstatic images of nature.  Abstracted to simplified, repeating patterns, the plant forms are nonetheless recognizable as shrubs and trees.  The vitality of nature is suggested through zigzagging forms which seem to explode with life.  Surrounding the central tree is a yellow halo that evokes a mystical or ecstatic state which is underscored by the parallel line of yellow dots climbing up into the heavens.  Burchfield also attempted to capture the sound of nature, and looking at this landscape, one almost hears the breeze sighing through the trees and the sound of crickets hiding in the long grass.  Humanity’s part of this scene is represented by the church spire and house roof on either side of the watercolor.