Charles Burchfield, Journals, October 18-19, 1938

Trip to Pittsburgh with B to see International show after a perod of indecision & renunciation, and final decision we ought to go…

I wont attempt to go into detail as to my impressions of the show. Three-fourths of the pictures at last were dreadful from any point of view, but the true connoisseur of pictures does not do as the vulgar snob does—i.e., go thru an exhibition looking for the worst pictures at which they can smile, & over which they can feel superior. So many of these pictures fairly screamed their vulgar tast, trivial purpose, & geneal mediocrity, so that tired as I was from driving, it was difficult to find the few good pictures. But after a while, it was easy to pass the mediocre ones, and see only the better ones. Hopper, McFee & Speicher stood out brilliantly in this company, as did Laufman, Vlaminck, Utrillo & Hofer & Mattson. As to my own “Elevators” —I could not be at any time see it to be as good as I hoped it was, tho it grew better as time went on.

Charles Burchfield, October 18-19, 1938