Description
The subject announced by Valley of the Chug Water becomes the center of Sanford Robinson Gifford’s carefully structured image. The composition develops through the placement of its dominant shapes and quieter intervals, giving the subject both clarity and room to breathe.
Sanford Robinson Gifford’s handling of tone, edge, and color gives the work its individual atmosphere. Changes in density across the image help separate primary forms from supporting areas while maintaining a unified overall design. The result is an image whose mood and structure become richer as the viewer notices the connections between its larger and smaller passages.
In a hand-painted reproduction, the work is rebuilt through successive layers of oil color rather than mechanically printed. The result combines the accessibility of a reproduction with the texture and individual character expected from a traditionally painted canvas.



