Artwork Page for The Sun Through the Trees

Details / Information for The Sun Through the Trees

The Sun Through the Trees

June 30, 1917

Charles Burchfield

(American, 1893–1967)
Culture
America
Medium
Watercolor and opaque watercolor
Measurements
Sheet: 55.9 x 45.7 cm (22 x 18 in.)
Credit Line
Hinman B. Hurlbut Collection 1930.849
Catalogue raisonné
Straus 240; Trovato 350
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

This work is an early example in which Burchfield began to paint directly and expressively with watercolor rather than carefully sketching out his composition in advance.

Description

While sketching in the Ohio countryside in 1916, Burchfield began to represent the sun as a dramatic orb. This sheet is part of a group in which the artist suggested stained glass windows using trees and the sun. Here, branches reach toward the sun to form a dark, halo-like frame filled by sunlight that diffuses into an array of color. By combining landscape with religious iconography, Burchfield suggested the divine influence he saw in nature.
A vertically oriented watercolor painting depicts a tall, black tree centered against a pale blue sky. In the upper half, a radiant white and yellow starburst glows through the dense foliage, encircled by a soft yellow halo. Wispy, feather-like clouds drift across the middle ground. In the lower half, rolling green and yellow fields lead to a horizon line dotted with small trees under a soft, golden light.

The Sun Through the Trees

June 30, 1917

Charles Burchfield

(American, 1893–1967)
America

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork