Summer near Waterville
1954
This oil painting, more representational than the earlier works Ascent and Descent, depicts layer upon rolling layer of golden wheat fields. The work recalls an actual place in central Washington, a part of the state the artist frequently visited before the war. Squares of color, in blue and red, yellow, orange and green punctuate the picture plane, their abstract forms just barely readable as structures. The trapezoidal shapes, floating unsupported, are suggestive of barn roofs, though they could just as well be interesting shapes with no intrinsic significance. Lateral blue, grey and white brushstrokes create a richly layered sky, its intense color a striking contrast to the ochre hills.
Oil on canvas
28 x 43 in. (71.12 x 109.22 cm)
Overall h.: 34 1/8 in.
Overall w.: 49 1/4 in.
Gift of Anne and Sidney Gerber
59.78
