Painting The Moment

Dwight Tryon - Early Spring 1913-1914

Among the most delicate paintings of early spring and autumn are those painted by Dwight William Tryon. They were said to be his favorite seasons because the "bones" of the trees were easily visible, or, as he expressed it "the wonderful anatomy of (the) trees."

Evidently, it took Tryon two years to finish this work, which is a depiction of South Dartmouth, Massachusetts where he and his wife had a summer home. In it we can see Tryon's particular talent for building up layers of paint that, nonetheless, appear transparent. I really enjoy the atmosphere he captures in his work. You can almost feel the warmth of the sun beginning to chase away the coolness of the dawn. Thomas Wilmer Dewing would write that its "gossamer-like brushwork" reminded him of the works of Camille Corot. High praise indeed.