The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 8, 2026

A horizontally oriented pencil and ink drawing on cream paper depicts a windswept landscape. Thick, gray clouds streak across the upper half, slanting toward the right. In the middle ground, spindly trees and a long, gabled greenhouse lean in the same direction. Quick, gestural scribbles create a sense of movement across a flat field in the foreground. In the lower right corner, a small monogram and the date 1932 are lightly inscribed.

Elm Trees and Greenhouse

1932

Charles Burchfield

(American, 1893–1967)
America
black and brown ink, conté crayon and watercolor on paper
Sheet: 21.6 x 45.8 cm (8 1/2 x 18 1/16 in.)
Bequest of the Thomas H. Horner and Virginia Jackson Horner Trust 2024.53
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Charles Burchfield kept journals in which he explained his artworks and the deeply personal symbolism within them.

Description

Charles Burchfield was known for his depiction of the Midwestern landscape, recording scenes like the one seen here. A native of northeast Ohio, the artist relocated to Buffalo, New York in 1921, and sketched the environs around him, such as the forest that fills this sheet. Burchfield often worked in pencil and watercolor, media that allowed him to draw quickly and on the spot.
  • 1975–2024
    Tom Horner, Hudson, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    2024-
    Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Elm Trees and Greenhouse|url=false|author=Charles Burchfield|year=1932|access-date=08 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2024.53