Hill Top at High Noon

Prolific and intense, Charles Burchfield produced a complex body of work that eludes classification. He had a deeply spiritual relationship with nature that is evident in his subject matter and its treatment; he reacted to its power, mystery, and pleasures with terror, ecstasy, and the subtle nuances in-between. Hill Top at High Noon captures a moment in which Burchfield witnessed sunlight radiating downward from the sky in shafts of pale yellow light that illuminate the edges of clouds. The light seems to command the attention of the trees below; they nearly grow with joy at its touch. Although based on the observed world, Burchfield’s work often approaches the fantastic. He invented visual devices that are meant to “replicate” the experience of bird and insect sounds. In his hands even plants emit halos of energy that pulsate and hum. Not surprisingly, some art historians consider Burchfield a “visionary” artist.