Merrill Coffin’s The Empty Stand captures a moment of stillness in the late autumn woods—a hauntingly beautiful scene that speaks to both the natural rhythms of wildlife and the silent presence of the hunter’s world.
At the heart of the composition, a magnificent 12-point buck stands poised beside a graceful doe. Their placement near the center of a gently winding trail invites the viewer to follow the path from the foreground into the quiet depth of the woods. The trail disappears into a distant tree line brushed with fading golden hues, suggesting the last remnants of autumn before winter’s arrival.
To the left, Coffin has painted a rugged rock formation, its textured surface hinting at the permanence of the land in contrast to the fleeting season. Three bare trees—tall, grey, and ghostlike—anchor the middle ground. Their leafless branches stretch toward a heavy sky, rendered in soft shades of grey, enhancing the somber, introspective tone of the piece.
On the right, almost easy to miss, an empty tree stand clings to a trunk, a quiet symbol of human presence and absence. This small detail introduces a narrative tension: the viewer is reminded of the hunter who might normally occupy this perch, now replaced by nature’s quiet procession. The title, The Empty Stand, underscores this absence—inviting questions about presence, passage, and restraint.
Known for his ability to blend storytelling with realism, Coffin’s work is rich in detail and emotion. His brushwork in The Empty Stand evokes the cool, crisp air of November and the reverent silence of a forest undisturbed. This painting, now held in a private collection, is a powerful tribute to the wild—unbothered, unbroken, and briefly untouched by man.
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