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Twilight

An oil painting of a landscape that depicts a group of six trees illuminated by a dramatic sunset in the background. The color palette is mostly warm tones in shades of red, orange, and yellow, with some streaks of dark green in the foreground and broader strokes of light green and blue for the sky in the background.
© Hale Woodruff/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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  • An oil painting of a landscape that depicts a group of six trees illuminated by a dramatic sunset in the background. The color palette is mostly warm tones in shades of red, orange, and yellow, with some streaks of dark green in the foreground and broader strokes of light green and blue for the sky in the background.

Date:

c. 1926

Artist:

Hale Woodruff (American, 1900–1980)

About this artwork

Twilight, one of Hale Woodruff’s early paintings, is a vivid landscape that reflects his desire to define himself as a modernist. A scene of a small grove of trees backlit by an intense sunset, the painting exuberantly evokes the brilliant color of the Fauves (French for “wild beasts”). The artist applied bold streaks of pigment using fluid brushstrokes, drawing attention to the paint’s texture. Paintings such as Twilight inspired the acclaimed Harlem Renaissance author Alain Locke to praise the young artist: “Mr. Woodruff paints landscapes of originality,” with a “warm beauty” of color. Woodruff later became a highly influential muralist and educator, dedicated to promoting the works and careers of African American artists.

Status

On View, Gallery 271

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Hale Woodruff

Title

Twilight

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

c. 1926

Medium

Oil on pressed paperboard

Inscriptions

Signed recto, lower-right, in red pigment: "Hale Woodruff".

Dimensions

71.8 × 85.1 cm (28 1/4 × 33 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Through prior bequest of Marguerita S. Ritman

Reference Number

1993.125

Copyright

© Hale Woodruff/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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