CHARLES BURCHFIELD Weather Event

Acknowledgments

Charles E. Burchfield’s representations of weather, wind, skies, and sounds are unique historical records

of the environment near Lake Erie. In 1915, Burchfield made a series of sketches that show the

changing weather and position of the sun over the course of several hours, which he called All-Day

Sketches. Weather Event presents the dramatic and complex natural phenomena chronicled in more

than 50 years of Burchfield’s writings, drawings, and paintings.

The Charles E. Burchfield Foundation Archives at the Burchfield Penney Art Center

makes such a presentation possible. The generosity of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation for entrusting

the museum with Burchfield’s journals, drawings, and ephemera is humbling, and we are grateful for

the Foundation’s continued support and friendship.

The exhibition is the result of collaboration between Tullis Johnson, Manager of

Archives and Information Resources at the Burchfield Penney, and Dr. Stephen Vermette, climatologist

and professor in the Department of Geography and Planning at Buffalo State College. With the

support of Buffalo State student Robert Moore and Dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences

Dr. Mark W. Severson, a unique interdisciplinary learning opportunity has been created.

Realizing the comprehensive vision for this exhibition would not have been possible

without the expertise of the staff at the Burchfield Penney. It is impossible not to mention Nancy Weekly

whose leadership enriches every Burchfield investigation. Alana Ryder, Curator for Public and Academic

Programs, and Mary Kozub, docent coordinator, with museum volunteer Jane Stevenson and docent

Carol Molnar developed a gallery guide for families, teachers and students designed to further the learning

experience and increase audience engagement.

Finally, our sincere gratitude goes to Mr. Louis P. Ciminelli and LPCiminelli, Inc.

for their support of this exhibition and continued belief in the museum’s mission. The Burchfield Penney’s

commitment to the art and artists of Western New York would not be possible without their generosity.

Scott Propeack

Associate Director, Exhibitions and Collections

Figure 1 (Cover)

Figure 2 (Inside Flap)

WEATHER EVENT by Tullis Johnson and Stephen Vermette, Ph. D.

Charles E. Burchfield once wrote, “My diary seems to be a journal of the wind, sunshine, and sky.”1 One can say much the same for his watercolors. While some may travel the world to find nature’s beauty, Burchfield found it in his own backyard and the surrounding countryside. His paintings are an intimate study of our sky, winds, clouds, and storms. As early as 1914 he stated, “I find no sympathetic beauty in the sky I have not lived under.” 2 His keen observations of the weather south of Lake Erie reveal an intimate view of this region. Weather refers to the state of the atmosphere for a given time and place. It can change from day to day, indeed from moment to moment. Like a snowflake, it never truly repeats itself. It can do unexpected things. When snow falls in early October, it can do great harm to the landscape. Weather can also affect people in profound ways, from the clothing we choose to wear, to the triggering of a particular mood. Each of Burchfield’s paintings is a snapshot of past weather, one that offers us a unique opportunity to understand the science of meteorology, one that activates our own memories and moods. Climate, on the other hand, is the aggregate of weather events that describes a place

or region. Weather over time can tell us what to anticipate. Farmers rely on this data when planting their

crops for the season. Even the common gardener must be aware of the growing seasons. By observing

weather patterns, we can learn a great deal about the character of a place, and that is precisely what

Burchfield achieved. An examination of the works presented in Weather Event provides a unique and

accurate depiction of the climate of our region.

1 Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, vol. 20 (September 26, 1914): 96-7.

2 Burchfield, Journals, vol. 20 (September 25, 1914): 92.

Figure 3

Figure 4

5 Burchfield, Journals, vol. 26 ( July 23, 1915): 65-67.

6 Burchfield, Journals, vol. 27A (November 28, 1915): 23-25.

Interestingly, sunrise and sunset colors can be enhanced by the dust or aerosols from volcanic eruptions. Simply put, the aerosols provide more obstructions and more scattering. The result is an enhanced multihued effect. After the April 2010 eruption of a volcano in Iceland, sunsets in parts of Europe were described as having “unbelievable vivid colors.” On May 22, 1915, Lassen Peak in California exploded in what was known as the “Great Eruption of 1915,” the most powerful eruption in a series between 1914 and 1917. Until Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, Mount Lassen was the only active volcano in the continental United States. It is possible that the vivid colors shown in these studies were, in part, influenced by a volcanic eruption in California. All-Day Sketches That summer of 1915 was an important one for Burchfield. Formative experiences at the Cleveland School of Art were beginning to influence his work. In 1915, Burchfield cited the influence of Japanese artists Hokusai5 and Hiroshige6 in his journals. The previous year, he had spent some time as a guard at the Hatch Galleries in Cleveland where he saw an exhibition of Chinese scroll paintings. The stories told in these scrolls emerge as the viewer moves from left to right across the image. This kind of narrative must have excited the artist. During July of 1915, he made hundreds of sketches of the sky over Salem and its surrounding countryside. Perhaps the most interesting of these are the ones he called “All-Day Sketches.” In these sketches the weather is shown as it changes over time.

Figure 5

A Wonderful Array of Colors Burchfield identified the beginning of his artistic career as 1915 while attending the Cleveland School

of Art. Cleveland, along Lake Erie, was one of the first environments he studied in depth. In a swiftly

executed sketch from July 13 of that year Burchfield wrote, “Evening red & morning grey starts the

traveler on his way. Evening grey & morning red brings down rain upon his head.” Figure 3 / Figure 4 If he

were a mariner he might have said, “A red sky at night is a sailor’s delight.” References to red skies and

weather can even be found in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. In Matthew 16: 2-3 Jesus said,

“When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it

will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky…”

This weather lore is based on the fact that weather generally travels from west to

east at mid-latitudes. The sky is red at dawn or dusk because the sun’s rays are near the horizon and

thus are passing through the thickest part of the atmosphere. All of the other wavelengths (e.g. violet

and blue) have already been dispersed and only red is available to be scattered. As the evening sun sets

on a dry sky, the sun’s rays are reflected by dust particles and the sky appears red, as seen in the painting

Afterglow (1916). Figure 6 A gray sky at night is one that is filled with moisture and is blocking the setting

sun’s rays. A gray sky like the one in Stormy Sky in Late August (1916) Figure 8 will likely bring rain. Three days later Burchfield made a series of watercolor studies of the clouds near

his home in Salem, Ohio. The colors in these studies appear vivid, but are realistic. A notebook labeled

Catalogue of 1915 Sketches gives the studies the title Flaming Orange Northern Sky at Sunset. Figure 1

As the title suggests, these studies are a vibrant orange, but also shades of red, purple, and blue.

Normally, the shorter wavelengths of light (yellow and blue) are more easily scattered (Rayleigh scattering3) than the longer wavelengths of visible light (oranges and reds), thus the sky appears blue and the sun yellow during the day. When the sun is low on the horizon the sun’s light must pass through a thicker atmosphere. The scattering of the short wavelengths are depleted before reaching the viewer (the blue light simply cannot make it); thus we witness colors of orange and red with the rising or setting of the sun. The colors appear higher in the sky when the sun is very low or even below the horizon. The mixing of long wavelength colors provides vivid skies. Burchfield’s journal entry from the day of the studies reflects his fascination with the phenomenon:

“A wonderful, glorious day — my heart is sailing the skies. At sunset, several huge storms moving mightily along the horizon, in a wonderful array of colors; after the sun is gone, a huge flaming orange spot appears in the northern sky & startles the whole black landscape; the wind from a storm in the southwest already swept upwards the black clawing trees. My pencil was frantic.” 4

3 Changes in directions of electromagnetic energy by particles whose diameters are 1/16 wavelength or less.

4 Burchfield, Journals, vol. 26 ( July 16, 1915): 52.

One from July 11, 1915 was given the title Rain, Clearup & Sunburst & Wind Starts to Blow. This sketch begins with a falling gentle rain —hash marks are vertical —against a backdrop of foliated trees. Next the rain ends, but layers of low clouds are present over the trees. The cloud bottoms appear pointed—almost aggressive—suggesting a turbulent atmosphere. In the final scene, trees are blown by the wind. Burchfield wrote, “Just as sun comes out the wind commences to blow violently.” Then we see a sudden appearance of the sun and its aurora of light. In this and many other All-Day Sketches, Burchfield is showing us an aggregate and collection of experiences. We see notations like “see P & Q” which reference other sketches. Those sketches represent particular weather events, which collectively can begin to describe the prevailing weather conditions in Salem at that time. Figure 5

The Sky Over Salem The next year, Burchfield made a number of paintings of the sky over his hometown. Before the Storm (from June 8, 1916) and two untitled works show the sky over the same house near his home. These three paintings depict a red house, shown on different days—three snapshots within a month. That summer, he also recorded the changing colors of the sky. The sky is clearly red in Afterglow ( July 8, 1916), Figure 6 as the sun sets to the right of the viewer. The presence of the moon, First Quarter in this case, and the darkened colors of the house and vegetation support a southwesterly view during evening twilight. The moon rose (east) around local noon and would have set (west) at local midnight. Thus, the moon in this watercolor is approximately halfway through its transit. When the sun is low on the horizon, the sky is often brighter than the earth’s surface. The sun’s rays continue to shine high into the sky even as the sun sets below the horizon. The painting Yellow Afterglow (1916) Figure 7 is best reviewed within the context of a diary entry made by Burchfield approximately two years earlier ( July 26, 1914):

“… Sunset the ‘yellow light’ kind. What a miracle that yellow light is coming as it does well after the sun has dropped below the rim of the world. All things become saturated with yellow light, even our thoughts. And so I sit in the saffron air…” 7

The painting conveys a sense of an “end-of-the-day stillness.” The sun has set below the horizon and the day has entered a brief time known as “evening civil twilight” where the sun is less than 6o below the horizon. While the sun has set, a person can still complete outdoor activities without the use of artificial light. In the painting, the very top of the trees and telephone poles show some illumination from the last rays of the sun,

7 Burchfield, Journals, vol. 17 ( July 26, 1914): 10-11.

Figure 6

Figure 7 Figure 8

while the lower branches and poles are shrouded in a growing darkness. As the exact date of the painting is known ( July 31, 1916), the moment in time captured in the painting is approximately 8:00 p.m.8 Stormy Sky in Late August (1916) Figure 8 presents a contrast between light and darkness, between calm and storm. The sun is out. It is bright, casting shadows across the trees and roof tops. The sunflowers are basking in the sunshine, pointing away from the stormy sky. (Sunflowers normally face east, so the dark sky is approaching from the west.) The sun itself is off to the side of the painting, as if fleeing, and the sky foreshadows the story to come. The sky is incredibly dark. Sunlight cannot penetrate through the clouds, and thus, a wall of darkness appears on the horizon. The broad horizontal paint strokes of the dark sky do not attempt to form the approaching storm clouds; rather, they simply show an approaching wall of darkness. This is a painting focused on the moment of change, a favorite subject for Burchfield. The yellow rays of the sun will soon disappear and be replaced by darkness. Then, a strong wind known as the “gust front” will bring cooler air forward to the front of the storm. Aside from the approaching darkness, these winds are a warning to our senses. A drop in temperature, the scent of rain, and a cool wind on the face indicate that a storm is soon upon us. Sunbursts Burchfield continued to record observations of weather throughout his career. In eastern Ohio, and later in Western New York, he painted weather events that collectively tell us a great deal about the climate south of Lake Erie. Works from later in his career are actual aggregates of weather over a longer period of time. These are paintings made after a collection of observations had been made, sometimes over many years. The oil painting Sunburst (1929–31) Figure 9 contains striking features, such as the many crepuscular rays—beams of sunlight radiating from the sun. Interestingly, these rays of light owe their existence to the shadows cast by the clouds. The beam is the absence of a shadow, where sunlight is able to penetrate through holes in the clouds or between clouds. The crepuscular rays shine both down to the surface and up into the atmosphere. These beams of light are often interpreted as a good sign from the heavens. On the right side of the painting, a rain shaft is shown. It is limited in its size and likely of short duration.9 Sunburst, like many later works, was made from numerous studies. Studies made from direct observation were used by the artist as raw material for a number of different works. The sunburst was a consistent motif for Burchfield. It could convey different meanings in different contexts. Interestingly, in an All-Day Sketch from July 11, 1915, Figure 5 the word “violent” is used to convey the sudden sunburst. It appears in paintings from 1916, such as Sunburst and Snow Flurries, and much later in paintings like December Storm (1941 – 60). Although meanings shift, the sunburst’s symbolic importance is always evident.

8 Daylight savings time was not observed until 1918.

9 Rain forms when air is lifted, creating updrafts from the heated ground, and in this case, these clouds show limited vertical development due to the absence of rising air, such that they will not produce much rain.

Figure 9

Heat Waves Burchfield used many other symbols in his paintings as well. A sketch for the painting Heat Waves in a Swamp (1948) Figure 10 shows a landscape undulating in the summer heat. In the actual painting, we see the hot rays of midsummer shining directly down from above. Wavy lines of rising heat appear in the foreground, obscuring the landscape beyond. Historic evidence tells us that the summer of 1948 was a hot one. A headline from the Buffalo Evening News on Friday August 27, 1948 reads,

“All-Time Heat Record is Smashed Here.” The article goes on to say:

“Baked, boiled, broiled and basted, all at the same time, Buffalonians made a sorry sight today for a midsummer menu as the temperature set an all-time high. They were done to a turn, and it wasn’t a good turn either.” 10

The weather outside the city must have affected the artist and his work. Other paintings from around that period show similar motifs. Cicada Song (1951) Figure 12 conveys a feeling of a summer day’s oppressive heat. The hazy sky appears to melt down onto the landscape. The tops of flowers are radiant with an orange aurora. Wavy lines of rising heat appear in the foreground and extend into the background as heat waves swell across an endless field. Up in the trees, we see the rhythm of the cicada song. In the month or so that cicadas live as an adult, they are found high in the trees. In this painting, tick marks on the tree tops and, most significantly, zigzag strokes in the tallest tree, appear to lift the top of the tree, as if it were propelled up by an explosion of sound. The cicada’s song ends with cooler temperatures. Weather folklore states that the first frost will occur six weeks after the cicada’s first song. In July Sunlight Pouring Down (1952) Figure 11 the sun is literally pouring down from the cloudless sky in yellow shafts of light. The yellow aurora of light in the background and on the tree canopy reinforces this brightness. The lush vegetation—Tansy, milkweed and Queen Anne’s Lace— are shown bathing in the sunlight. This July day is responding by releasing warmth, best illustrated by the rhythmic undulations of the vegetation beyond the tree’s shadow, and by the erosion of the vegetation and higher tree canopy into shimmering waves of heat. In another painting called Hot September Wind (1953), Figure 13 the rising heat is easily made visible by the yellow wiggly lines extending up from the ground. The stylized ‘M’ shape in the middle of the picture may seem out of place, but those familiar with Burchfield’s Conventions for Abstract Thought would recognize the shape as a symbol for morbid brooding, which may suggest the oppressive heat of a humid, late-summer day, or the lament for the end of summer. Figure 14

10 “All-Time Record is Smashed Here; Mercury Passes Mark Set in ’33, Continues Rising” Buffalo Evening News, 27 August 1948: A1. Print.

Figure 10

Figure 11 Figure 13 Figure 14

Figure 12

The Weather Man

Many of Burchfield’s observations of weather fell closely in line with the observations of scientists and the data they recorded. One such event was only recorded in his journals. In the early afternoon of September 24, 1950, the sky turned black over much of the northeastern United States. Burchfield wrote:

“Dark and cold. It was not until noon that I first noticed the strange yellow light outside. It kept getting darker and darker. The strange hot, tawny color at the zenith had the quality of a yellow August afterglow, yet different. By 2:00 p.m., it was almost like night. In the west, deep blue-black clouds, then the sky went from mars violet up to tawny orange — lower clouds white and cold. In the S.E., brilliant yellow light at the horizon.” 11

A local national weather service logbook from that week tells a similar story:

“Between 1400 and 1600 EST, light from the sky was diminished to the dimness of twilight (or pre-dawn). The sky was chaotic with mammato forms showing where the obscurement appeared thickest, while to the northeast a streak of clear, bright sky continued until about sunset time. Street lights came on. Artificial lights were needed for all purposes.” 12

One can only imagine the sensation and confusion people must have felt on that afternoon. On that Sunday, Major League Baseball’s day games in Pittsburgh and Cleveland were played under lights. The Buffalo Courier-Express received reports of “the sun turning blue and displaying a yellow aura. There were also reports of other varied sun colors—purple, pink, yellow, and brown.” 13 The strange event was attributed to smoke drifting down from forest fires in Alberta, Canada. The weird hues noted by observers can be attributed to the uniformly fine particles within the smoke layer. The very fine smoke particles aloft scattered the sun’s rays, dispersing the red and yellow light which accounts for most of its visible spectrum, allowing only the shorter wavelengths of blue and magenta to penetrate through. Thus, wherever the sun or moon were visible, they were seen with hues of blue, pink, or purple. 14

Weather Symbols

The connection between art and science can also be detected in Burchfield’s use of symbols. Notes made during a museum visit in 1914 show that he was interested in the language of weather from very early on. He copied the Chinese symbols for wind and thunder, among many others. He later wrote, “Due to my

11 Burchfield, Journals, vol. 51 (September 24, 1950): 103-4.

12 U.S. Department of Commerce, Met’l Record, Surface Weather Observations, Greater Buffalo International Airport, July – December 1950.

13 “Forest Fire Smoke Darkens Lakes Area, Clouds Drift East, South From Alberta” Buffalo Courier Express, 25 November 1950: A1. Print.

14 Stephen Vermette, “The Afternoon the Sun Disappeared Over Western New York” Western New York Heritage, Spring 2011; 58-61.

15 Charles Burchfield, “Fifty Years as a Painter,” in Charles Burchfield: His Golden Year—A Retrospective Exhibition of Watercolors, Oils, and Graphics, organized by William E. Steadman (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1965), 15.

16 Burchfield, Journals, vol. 45 ( January 21, 1943): 20.

‘discovery’ of Chinese art, I determined to formulate a set of conventions, based on Nature, as other great artists had done, except that mine were to be completely my own.”15

While Burchfield’s symbols are unique, a more universal code has been very useful for the field of meteorology. They can be very complex, but their meaning is much more fixed. Cold and warm fronts and high and low pressure are presented as symbols. There are sets of symbols used by broadcast meteorologists to convey weather information to the public, and there are symbols used by meteorologists themselves. Each symbol tells a story in its own right. The first symbol above describes a light or moderate thunderstorm with hail. The second symbol is a station code, which conveys a great deal of information about the weather at the time of observation—it tells a story. Image 1 / Image 2

Translated, this enlarged station code tells us the following: Currently the temperature is 31oF with a dew point of 30oF. Winds are out of the northwest at 28 mph. The sky is overcast with a number of cloud layers. The high-level clouds are dense cirrus forming in patches or twisted sheaves and not increasing over time. The middle-level clouds are altocumulus forming at different levels (a chaotic sky). The low-level clouds are a broken layer of stratus and/or cumulus clouds associated with bad weather, with a base between 300 and 599 feet. Low to middle-level clouds account for 60% of the sky coverage. The meteorologist uses this complex system of symbols to translate scientific observations into language that can be universally understood. Burchfield’s observations are universal in a different way. While less specific, they capture the character of a place. They help us understand the weather and climate of a unique geographical area.

Powerful Emotions

In 1943 Burchfield wrote, “To me, the artist, interested chiefly in weather—all weather is beautiful, and full of powerful emotion…”16 We can learn a great deal from the data collected by scientists and the probabilities it presents, but Burchfield’s paintings trigger the memories and moods that certain weather inspires. His paintings are a reminder that we experience a glorious transformation of seasons and a celebration of the skies. We may, in fact, be better able to experience and appreciate the transformations in the climate to the south of Lake Erie if we try for a moment to do it through Burchfield’s eyes.

Image 2Image 1

WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION

All works are by Charles E. Burchfield unless otherwise noted.

Afterglow [detail], July 8, 1916; Watercolor and graphite on paper, 19⅜" x 14"; Gift of Tony Sisti, 1979 (Figure 6)

Afternoon Wind, 1964; Watercolor and charcoal on paper, 3713/16" x 28¾" Gift of Hodgson, Russ, Andrews, Woods, and Goodyear, in memory of Ruth Millet Goodyear, 1976

Autumn Splendor—Storm & Winter, August 3, 1915; Graphite on paper, 11" x 17"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Before the Storm, June 8, 1916; Watercolor and graphite on paper, 13¾" x 19⅜"; The Parisi Collection

Cicada Song, 1951; Watercolor on paper, 24½" x 29½"; Private Collection (Figure 12)

Chinese Symbols, c.1914; Graphite on paper, 9½" x 6"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Clearing Sky, July 1, 1917; Watercolor on paper, 17⅝" x 21½"; The Charles Rand Penney Collection of Work by Charles E. Burchfield, 1994

Clearing Skies, 1916; Graphite on paper, 9" x 11¾"; The Charles Rand Penney Collection of Work by Charles E. Burchfield, 1994

Fireflies and Lightning, 1964–65; Watercolor, graphite and white charcoal on paper, 40" x 54"; Purchase made possible with funds from M&T Bank, an anonymous donor, William P. and A. Laura Brosnahan, the Vogt Family Foundation, and the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, 1998

Sketch for Fireflies and Lightning #3, c.1964; Conté crayon on paper, 9 ⅜" x 13½"; Gift of the Artist, 1967

Sketch for Fireflies and Lightning #4, c.1964; Conté crayon on paper, 9⅝" x 13⅝"; Gift of the Artist, 1967

Flaming Orange Northern Sky at Sunset / V-4a, July 16, 1915; Watercolor and graphite on mounted paper, 11" x 17"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006 (Figure 1)

Flaming Orange Northern Sky at Sunset/V-4b, July 16, 1915; Watercolor and graphite on mounted paper, 11" x 17"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Grand glory of Autumn; Thunderstorm & Autumn Sunset Together Followed by Windy Moon / F, August 25, 1915 Graphite on paper, 11" x 17"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Haunted Twilight 1954–62; Watercolor and charcoal on joined paper, 32⅜" x 39⅛"; The Charles Rand Penney Collection of Work by Charles E. Burchfield, 1994

Three Studies for Haunted Twilight, 1954–62; Conté crayon on paper, 11" x 17"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006 Study for Heat Waves in a Swamp, c.1948; Graphite, Conté crayon, and ink on paper, 10¾" x 7¼"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

July Sunlight Pouring Down, 1952; Watercolor on paper, 35" x 26"; On permanent loan to the Burchfield Penney Art Center (Figure 11)

Morbid Brooding from Conventions for Abstract Thought, 1917; China marker on paper, 8¼" x 5¼"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006 (Figure 14)

November Storm, 1950; Watercolor on paper, 26" x 40"; Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Sherlock A. Herrick, Jr., 2001 (Figure 2)

Rain, Clearup & Sunburst & Wind Starts to Blow / V [detail], July 11, 1915; Graphite on paper, 11" x 17" Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006 (Figure 5)

Two Studies for The Song of the Katydids on an August Morning, 1917; Graphite on paper, 11" x 17"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Stormy Sky in Late August, August 28, 1916; Watercolor with graphite on paper, 13⅞" x 10" Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Armand J. Castellani, in honor of Edna M. Lindemann, 1985 (Figure 8)

Sun Over Wheatfield 1950; Conté crayon and graphite on paper, 9¾" x 7¼"; Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Joseph E. Conners, 1982

Sunburst [detail], 1929–31; Oil on canvas, 35½" x 47½"; The Charles Rand Penney Collection of Work by Charles E. Burchfield, 1994 (Figure 9)

Two Days & Night / E, July 1, 1915; Graphite on paper, 11" x 17"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Untitled (All-Day Sketch), July 4, 1915; Graphite on paper, 11" x 17"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Untitled (All-Day Sketch), July 8, 1915; Graphite on paper, 11" x 17"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Untitled (All-Day Sketch) /A, August 7, 1915; Graphite on paper, 4" x 7"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006 (Figures 3 / 4)

All-Day Sketch / I, August 25, 1915; Graphite on paper, 11" x 17"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Untitled (Dark Red Houses), June 19, 1916; Watercolor with graphite on paper, 14" x 20"; Gift of Tony Sisti, 1979

Untitled (Haloed Moon), c.1916; Watercolor and graphite on paper, 9¼" x 6"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Untitled (Haloed Moon Over Treetops), c.1917; Watercolor and graphite on paper, 11" x 8¼"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Untitled (Haloed Moon Over Treetops), April, 1916; Watercolor and graphite on paper, 14" x 10"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Untitled (The Life of a Wheat Field…), July 2, 1915; Graphite on paper, 11" x 17"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Untitled (Red House), June 17, 1916; Watercolor and graphite on paper, 20" x 14"; Gift of Tony Sisti, 1979

Untitled (Clouds in Wind), April 12, 1915; Graphite on paper, 7¼" x 4½"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Untitled (Thunder & Lightning), April 12, 1915; Graphite on paper, 7¼" x 4½"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006

Wind-Blown Asters, 1951; Watercolor and graphite on joined paper, 30" x 40"; Gift of Dr. Edna M. Lindemann, 1968

Windswept Sky, September 10, 1916; Watercolor, gouache, and graphite on paper, 14" x 20"; Gift of Tony Sisti, 1979

Yellow Afterglow, July 31, 1916; Watercolor and graphite on paper, 20" x 14"; Gift of Tony Sisti, 1979 (Figure 7)

Works featured in this publication, but not included in the exhibition:

Heat Waves In a Swamp, 1948; Watercolor on paper, 40" x 26"; Collection unknown (Figure 10)

Untitled (More Yellow Coming Through) [detail], c.1915; Watercolor and graphite on paper; 18" x 12"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006 (Figure 17)

SELECTED EPHEMERAL OBJECTS

Charles E. Burchfield Journals, Volume 26, June 16, 1915 p. 53; Faux leather bound, commercially made, lined paper notebook Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2000

Charles E. Burchfield Journals, Volume 51, September 24, 1950 p. 103; Cardboard bound, hand mounted, unlined paper; September 24, 1950 Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2000

Life magazine “ 24 Hours of Sun,” July 30; 14" x 59"; Gift of the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation, 2006; U.S. Department of Commerce Weather Bureau

Daily Weather Map — Symbol Key; 19" x 24"; Collection of Stephen Vermette

Myers & Loomis The Great Eruption of Lassen Peak, May 22, 1915; Postcard, 37/16" x 5½"; Gift of Private Donor, 2011

Feng Shui Chinese Compass; 6⅝" diameter x ½"; Collection of Stephen Vermette

U.S. Department of Commerce Surface Weather Observations, Greater Buffalo International Airport, July –December 1950 Carbon copy and original documents in binder Collection of Andy Ross

*All works collection of the Burchfield Penney Art Center unless otherwise noted.

Figure 17

The Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College, accredited by the American Association of Museums, is a museum dedicated

to the art and vision of Charles E. Burchfield and distinguished artists of Buffalo-Niagara and Western New York State. Through

its affiliation with Buffalo State College, the museum encourages learning and celebrates our richly creative and diverse community.

The Burchfield Penney is supported in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts and Erie County.

Additional support is provided by Buffalo State College, the Elizabeth Elser Doolittle Trust, the Mary A. H. Rumsey Foundation,

the James Carey Evans Endowment and Burchfield Penney members and friends.

©2013 Burchfield Penney Art Center. Design by White Bicycle.

Charles E. Burchfield

Charles Ephraim Burchfield was born April 9, 1893 in Ashtabula Harbor, Ohio. Five years later,

following the death of his father, his family moved to Salem, Ohio. He graduated from high school

as class valedictorian in 1911, and graduated from the Cleveland School of Art in 1916.

Burchfield moved to Buffalo, New York in 1921 to work for the M.H. Birge & Sons

Company, one of the nation’s most prominent and artistic wallpaper companies. He married Bertha

Kenreich in 1922 and they raised five children. In 1929, encouraged by the Frank K. M. Rehn Galleries

in New York City, he resigned his job as a designer to paint full-time.

Burchfield’s early works were imaginative, stylized landscapes and rural scenes

that often incorporated a personal language of symbols. After the move to Buffalo he became engrossed

in the City’s buildings, harbor, rail yards, and surrounding countryside, working in a more realistic style.

From this period, his works show an appreciation for American life, and a complex assessment of urban

life in comparison to the countryside and small town of his youth.

In the 1940s, Burchfield’s romanticism led him to ideas begun in early fantasy

scenes that he often expanded into transcendental landscapes. He followed this artistic vision until

the end of his life, creating some of his greatest, most mystical works.

Burchfield gained acclaim through inclusion in prestigious national exhibitions, and

he received numerous awards. His artistic achievement was honored by the inauguration of the Charles

Burchfield Center at Buffalo State College on December 9, 1966. He died on January 11, 1967. The

museum, now called the Burchfield Penney Art Center, holds the world’s largest collection of his work.

BurchfieldPenney.org