Church Bells Ringing, Rainy Winter Night, No. 3

1917
(American, 1893–1967)
Sheet: 25.2 x 13.8 cm (9 15/16 x 5 7/16 in.); Secondary Support: 26.9 x 13.8 cm (10 9/16 x 5 7/16 in.)
Reproduced with permission from the Charles E. Burchfield Foundation
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location: not on view

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Did You Know?

Burchfield drew in layers of graphite to create forms on the church's steeple that suggest the sound of ringing bells and appearance of dripping rain.

Description

This drawing is a study for one of Burchfield’s Church Bells Ringing, Rainy Winter Night, painted in December 1917. The artist described the work as “an attempt to express a childhood emotion—a rainy winter night—the church bell is ringing and it terrifies me (the child)—the bell ringing motive reaches out and saturates the rainy sky—the roofs of the houses dripping with rain are influenced; the child attempts to be comforted by the thoughts of candle lights and Christmas trees, but the fear of the black, rainy night is overpowering.”
Church Bells Ringing, Rainy Winter Night, No. 3

Church Bells Ringing, Rainy Winter Night, No. 3

1917

Charles Burchfield

(American, 1893–1967)
America, 20th century

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