Mid-Century Stone Church Landscape by Juanita Williams

This is a large-format original oil painting on canvas, dated 1951 and signed by the artist Juanita Williams. The composition features a central stone church or chapel with a prominent bell tower, framed by dark, leafless deciduous trees in the foreground. The painting style is representational with an expressive, impasto-like application of paint, creating a heavy texture particularly in the stonework and the sky. The color palette is dominated by earthy ochres, deep browns, and muted greens, contrasted against a cloudy blue and white sky. The lighting suggests a late afternoon or autumnal setting, casting long shadows across the grassy foreground. The work is housed in a period-appropriate carved wood frame with a fluted or 'pickled' finish typical of the mid-20th century. Fine horizontal craquelure is visible across the center-right portion of the canvas, indicating natural aging of the paint film over seventy years. There are no immediate signs of significant paint loss or structural repairs, though the varnish layer appears to have slightly yellowed with age. The signature is located in the lower-right corner, clearly identifying the artist and the 1951 date. This piece represents a strong example of American regionalist or mid-century folk-influenced landscape painting, demonstrating a high quality of textural manipulation and atmospheric mood.