Old Farm House (September Sunlight) 1932

Curator: This watercolor is by Charles Burchfield, called "Old Farm House (September Sunlight)." We don't have a precise date, but he's known for his depictions of American small towns and rural scenes. It's part of our collection at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels a little haunted, doesn't it? The colors are muted, almost grey, and the house itself seems to be sinking into the landscape. Curator: Burchfield often imbued his landscapes with emotional and psychological content, reflecting anxieties about industrialization and the changing American landscape. He believed houses could possess distinct personalities. Editor: It's definitely got character. The way the lines of the siding warp and bend gives it a slightly surreal quality. It’s like the house is sighing. I wonder what stories these walls could tell. Curator: Burchfield’s work was, in some ways, a critique of the idealized image of rural America, reflecting the less glamorous, and often neglected, realities of small-town life. Editor: Well, I can almost smell the damp wood and fallen leaves. It is a reminder that even in decay, there's a certain beauty, a poignant echo of lives lived. Curator: Yes, a reminder of the past's enduring presence. Editor: A house’s quiet tale.