Hoyt House

Notes: Painted in Wellfleet, MA and New York, NY from photographs. April 26, 27 in Buffalo, drew the Hoyt house, too cold for his hands, will finish it from a photograph in Wellfleet. June 10 began in Wellfleet, 11, 12, 18, 19, 27, 28, 30, November 12, December 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 16, 17, 18, 27, 31. 1948: January 5, 7, 8, 12, 22, 24, 28 "trees etc.", 29, February 2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14 "finished Hoyt House."

The painting was commissioned by Esther Hoyt Sawyer, to be a "portrait" of her girlhood home before it was demolished. It was in some way unsatisfactory to her and was kept by ED.

To EHS, December 17, 1947, "Being unable to do it as you wanted it done - in the premier coup style, I have found myself unable to do it other than carefully, well, and so it proceeds. The house is nearly completed; the environs will not take as long as the house has." To EHS, May 27, 1948, couldn't come to Buffalo but "I would have been glad to, and to do whatever you wanted me to do on the house." Proposes late September.

Journal October 12, 1955: "on the 3rd inst. I saw the paysage view of Mrs. Hoyt's house. Its receipt was never acknowledged. It was expected to be premier coup. That was impossible of doing, though I undertook it from nature. This piece is a nice piece. I do not understand its being so very unappreciated. It should be understood that premier-coup & an assigned subject do not go together." [ED was in Buffalo for funeral of Ansley W. Sawyer].