Montiniguaire
- MAKER:
Artist
Raoul Dufy ( French, 1877 - 1953 )
- DATE:
- n.d.
General Description
Charles Burchfield first came to Buffalo, New York, in 1921 to design wallpaper for a local firm. There, he painted many of the haunting townscapes that speak of loneliness, isolation, and mystery. Referring to this work, Burchfield himself said, "For me the `picture' was the grim dramatic quality of the buildings in the eerie light of an imminent storm." Street Scene depicts a box-gatherer pulling his cart down Genesee Street on a day in early spring. The scene derives a surreal quality from the giant trade signs of a molar and a pair of shears and the "false-front" effect of the central structure. A master watercolorist, Burchfield used the medium to express visual equivalents of sounds and psychic sensations, often splicing together large sheets of paper to create such monumental works.
Excerpt from
DMA label copy
Fun Facts
- From 1921-1929 Charles Burchfield worked as a wallpaper designer for America's oldest wallpaper manufacturer, M.H. Birge & Sons Company.
Web Resources
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Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo, NY
Explore the life and works of Charles E. Burchfield. -
Brandywine River Museum of Art, Chadds Ford, PA
Learn more about the landscapes of Charles E. Burchfield. -
Burchfield Homestead Society
Read about the artist and his home at the Historic Artists' Homes and Studios website. -
YouTube
Watch this video about Charles Burchfield created by the Burchfield Penney Art Center. -
Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo, NY
View the preliminary drawing of Street Scene created in 1937.