(Detroit, Michigan, 1867 - 1949, Northfield Center, Ohio)
1936-1937
Oil on fiberboard
55 x 47 in. (139.7 x 119.4 cm)
Collection of the Akron Art Museum
Gift of Robert Bordner
1973.17
A collaboration between Sommer and his son Edwin, this painting was commissioned by Ruth Bordner as a birthday present for her husband Robert, a newspaper writer and close friend of the Sommers. The image probably represents the rural property that the Bordners owned in nearby Peninsula, Ohio. Sommer received several commissions during his career, including some for federal government art projects during the Great Depression. When working on commissions, he tended to paint in a more refined style, with quieter colors and defined shapes.