Burchfield Penney Art Center Acquires New Burchfield Masterpiece
The Burchfield Penney Art Center (BPAC) has acquired the watercolor painting Retreat of Winter by renowned American artist Charles E. Burchfield (1893–1967). This masterpiece, a testament to Burchfield’s unique artistic vision, has been acquired from Christie’s, one of the world’s leading auction houses for fine art.
The acquisition is the most significant purchase the institution has ever made, reinforcing its commitment to preserving and showcasing the legacy of Charles E. Burchfield and the art and artists of Buffalo, New York, and the surrounding region.
Burchfield scholar Nancy Weekly described the painting as “a quintessential work in a series that imaginatively depicts the joyful transition of seasons from winter to spring.” Retreat of Winter’s sister paintings, The Coming of Spring and Two Ravines can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Hunter Museum of American Art, respectively.
“All three contain early paintings that Burchfield expanded and remastered many years later,” Weekly said, “making each vibrantly expressive. Retreat of Winter is the most magical and transcendent in its approach.”
Burchfield scholar Nancy Weekly speaks at the unveiling of Retreat of Winter.
Burchfield returned on many occasions over his lifetime to sketch ravines near his hometown of Salem, Ohio, and in Western New York, where he spent his adulthood. In a February 14, 1962, journal entry he noted, “The perennial fascination of the ‘convention’ of a ‘black hollow’ (which came to me in 1917 and has haunted me ever since)—symbolizing the dark mystery of a North Woods, where winter lurks in the V of deep sunless ravines.”
Burchfield’s works of this scale and significance rarely become available at auction. Thanks to the Burchfield Penney board and staff’s close monitoring of the art market, the BPAC team was able to quickly mobilize to acquire this treasure for the Western New York community to enjoy.
The 40-by-60-inch painting arrived at the BPAC in late June, framed and crated for safe travel. The Burchfield Penney team quickly set about reframing the work with state-of-the-art museum glass—for a glare-free viewing experience—and a custom frame faithful to the artist’s own hand-constructed framing style.
Retreat of Winter will be on view alongside a selection of Burchfield’s related sketches and journal entries through Sunday, October 20.
For more information about the Burchfield Penney Art Center and its upcoming exhibitions, events, and programs, please visit the Burchfield Penney website.
About the Burchfield Penney Art Center at SUNY Buffalo State University
Established in 1966 on the campus of SUNY Buffalo State, the Burchfield Penney Art Center is dedicated to the art and vision of renowned American watercolorist Charles E. Burchfield (1893–1967) and the art and artists of Buffalo and Western New York. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
Media Contact:
Julia Norris, Director of Communications
Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State
(716) 878-3457
Header image: Charles E. Burchfield (1893–1967), Retreat of Winter, 1950–1964; watercolor on paper, 40 x 60 inches; Burchfield Penney Art Center acquisition, 2024.
Inline image: Burchfield scholar Nancy Weekly, courtesy of the BPAC.
