CHARLES EPHRAIM BURCHFIELD (1893-1967)

Searching for subject matter in Western New York, Charles Burchfield wrote in his journal on September 9, 1960, "I had intended painting, and even had put all my gear into the trunk—but I had in mind a sunny day and it was cloudy—So I just made drawings—a wonderfully soft moist wind out of the south. Again we were 'carried away' by the beauty of September Fields." (C.E. Burchfield, Journals, vol. 59, September 9, 1960, pp. 183-84, Burchfield Penney Art Center, The Charles E. Burchfield Archives) The present work may be an expansion of a drawing executed on this day, as evidenced by the autumnal glow and exaggerated spider webs in the distance signaling the end of summer.

As opposed to his more observational works from his earlier years, the artist's later works such as Glowering Trees at Twilight take on a psychological quality in which trees, plants or buildings appear to reverberate with supernatural energy. In the present work, echoing black lines suggest the vibration of sound, while dashes of electric yellow intensify the sense of life pulsating through the scene. As the title suggests, the trees seem to be communicating something urgent, perhaps rattled by the disturbance of the artist's presence at the tender twilight hour.