Backyards in Winter (Castoff Christmas Tree)
1917
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1917
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Backyards in Winter (Castoff Christmas Tree) is a 1917 by Charles Burchfield, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
A scraggly Christmas tree lies on its side in a snowy backyard, its needles still bright green against the gray slush. Behind it, a row of plain wooden houses stretches into the distance, their windows dark. Burchfield made this in January 1917, right after the holidays. He loved Christmas—not for the presents, but for the quiet hope it brought. The tree, usually a centerpiece, is now trash, yet it still glows with color. If you like this, look up *subject: america*—Burchfield painted everyday scenes like this all his life.
