Charles Burchfield

American (1893 – 1967)
Poplars in June, 1950
Watercolor
Gift of Mr. Ralph L. Wilson  

Burchfield is considered an American original, a maverick wallpaper designer who stood apart from the artistic current of his time, and through perseverance became one of the most notable watercolor painters of the 20th century. He was born in Ashtabula Harbor, Ohio, moved to Salem, Ohio and then studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art from 1912-16. Although he received a scholarship to the National Academy of Design in New York, he stayed only for two months and returned to his rural surroundings. He worked as a wallpaper designer, painting during lunch breaks and on weekends. Moving to Buffalo, he continued to design wall coverings for eight years before quitting to devote his time to painting and eventually, teaching.

His painting style developed as a detailed system of personal signs, linear forms that denoted basic emotions that could be woven into his pictures as decorative patterns or outlines. Landscapes were representative of his moods, often describing signs for fear and anxiety. In his mature style, natural forms are rendered with abstract, nervous outlines that recall wood block prints.

Burchfield’s work became popular and widely known during the Regionalist movement of the 1930s. In 1943 he was elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters.