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The Sphinx and the Milky Way: Selections from the Journals of Charles Burchfield Paperback – October 17, 2023

by Ben Estes (Editor), Charles Burchfield (Artist)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2 ratings
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Mystical and everyday reveries from the visionary American modernist

In the early years of the 20th century, Charles Burchfield painted mystic and visionary landscapes, and with some of his contemporaries, including Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe and Grant Wood, can be seen to have built the foundations of a particularly North American sensibility that critic Dave Hickey said "continues to evoke an unrepentant, gnostic vision of this vast, rolling, abandoned continent―America without Europe―America without Americans―a massive, alluring kingdom."
For nearly his entire life, Burchfield also kept a journal. Over 54 years, he filled nearly 10,000 pages. To call this journal epic would be an understatement. A masterpiece whose bulk has remained unread, it is a handwritten tome that combines elements of the American nature journal with a dash of 19th-century spiritual autobiography. It is a record of a man who spent much of his life looking at and considering the sky.
In this comparatively small selection pulled from the original 62 volumes, we find Burchfield writing about sitting in the grass with his wife to nap and watch the sunset. He writes about the elation he feels at seeing the first flowers in the spring. He writes about the rain, wind and sun. There’s the resentment of having a job; the depression that sneaks in as he gets older; sometimes, too, he writes about the state of human progress; and occasionally, thoughts about God. It is the tender record of a life devoted to the essences of earthly beauty.
Best known for his romantic, often fantastic depictions of nature, watercolorist Charles Burchfield (1893–1967) developed a unique style of watercolor painting that reflected distinctly American subjects and his profound respect for nature.

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  1. Print length
    174 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    The Song Cave
  4. Publication date
    October 17, 2023
  5. Dimensions
    5.98 x 0.51 x 66.93 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1734035145
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1734035148
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

The Sphinx and the Milky Way is just a handful of stars from one formidable galaxy of the mind. -- Pat Padua ― Spectrum Culture

Offers a refined and insightful selection of Burchfield’s journal entries, which together offer a vivid snapshot into this influential artist’s creative and personal world. -- Katie White ― Artnet

Those who have enjoyed such works as Sei Shonagon's Pillow Book or Kafka's Diaries will find another helping of time- and culture-collapsing manna in The Sphinx and the Milky Way. -- Eric Bies ― Rain Taxi Review of Books

I’ve always found Burchfield’s glimmering landscapes mysterious, but his diaries offer an important insight: He painted through a prism that amplified nature’s quiet energies. -- Lauren Moya Ford ― Hyperallergic

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Song Cave (October 17, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 174 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1734035145
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1734035148
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.51 x 66.93 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2 ratings

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
2 global ratings

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