Charles Burchfield

1
Charles Burchfield
2
Welcome

• Watercolorist Charles Ephraim Burchfield
  (1893-1967) is one of America's most original
  artists. Best known for his romantic, often
  fantastic depictions of nature, Burchfield
  developed a unique style of watercolor painting
  that reflected distinctly American subjects and
  his profound respect for nature.

3
Early Life

• 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, where he graduated from high school as
  class valedictorian in 1911. He attended the
  Cleveland School of Art and studied with Henry G.
  Keller, Frank N. Wilcox, and William J. Eastman.

4
November Sun Emerges
5
Charles Burchfield

• Charles Burchfield was a keen observer of nature,
  who, as he said "early formed the habit of
  wandering off to the woods and fields by myself,
  or accompanied only by a dog, in search of wild
  flowers in the spring, or colored leaves in the
  fall.

6
September Wind and Rain, 1949
7
Charles Ephraim Burchfield

• Unlike his inward life, his outward life was
  deceptively simple, one of work, first to support
  himself and later his family.

8
Rail Fence
Charles BurchfieldAmerican, 1893 - 1967Rail
Fence, 1916watercolor and graphite on wove
paper, 30.2 x 22.7 cm (11 15/16 x 8 15/16 in.)
Gift of Ira Spanierman, in Honor of the 50th
Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
9
Turning Point

• Burchfield then turned to realistic paintings of
  worn-down buildings and grimy streets in
  midwestern towns. Reflecting nostalgia for times
  past, these paintings portray a disillusioned
  America facing hard times.

10
Self-Portrait Charles Burchfield
11
Moon Through Young Sunflowers
12
Landscape with Trees and Dandelions

13
Main Street, Salem -- Winter Day
14
End of the Day, 1938
15
Day in Midwinter
16
About His Paintings

• Burchfield spent most of his life (1893-1967) in
  two small towns of the Great Lakes region Salem,
  Ohio and Gardenville, New York (near Buffalo).
  His subjects reflected his immediate surroundings
  - the views from his studio, changing weather and
  seasons, sagging houses and fences. His works
  convey a psychological depth that belies the
  simple subject matter.

17
Icebound Lake Boat, 1924
18
Mother Britannia
19
Dandelion Seed Heads And the Moon
20
Night Scene, 1919
21
Night Of the Equinox
22
Lightning And Thunder At Night
23
Orion In December
24
Burchfield's Art Center

• The Burchfield-Penney Art Center in Buffalo is a
  partner in this exhibit. The Ohio Arts Council
  helped fund this organization with state tax
  dollars to encourage economic growth, educational
  growth, educational excellence and cultural
  enrichment for all Ohioans. The John P. Murphy
  Foundation and the Kulas Foundation also
  contributed.

25
More About Burchfield

• Watercolorist Charles Ephraim Burchfield is truly
  one of America's most original artists. Best
  known for his romantic, often fantastic
  depictions of nature, Burchfield developed a
  unique style of watercolor painting that
  reflected distinctly American subjects and his
  profound respect for nature and man's relation to
  reality as received through all the senses.

26
Life Of 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, where he graduated
  from high school as class valedictorian in 1911.
  He attended the Cleveland School of Art and
  studied with William Sommer, Henry G. Keller,
  Frank N. Wilcox, and William J. Eastman.

27
Death Of Burchfield

• Charles Burchfield Died in 1967 at West Seneca
  New York. Burchfield lived in Many different
  places, such as Salem, Ohio Buffalo, New York
  Gardenville, New York.
• He died at the age of 74 in West Seneca New York.