New England Equinox is a mystery short story by Isaac Asimov
Part of the Union Club series, it was first published in the March 1986 issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine.
Summary[]
In the Union Club library, a discussion about the value of modern art leads Griswold to recount an incident that occurred in the same room a few years prior. He overheard a conversation between two men, Ingoldsby and Lomax. Ingoldsby explained that he had purchased a painting for one thousand dollars from a New Hampshire farmer, believing it to be a valuable, undiscovered work by the renowned representational artist Louis Hazlett. The painting, titled "New England Equinox," depicted a small New England town at dawn, with meticulous details including a 1955 De Soto automobile, a town hall clock showing 6:00, and trees showing early signs of autumn coloring.
Despite his enthusiasm, Ingoldsby admitted he had no provenance for the painting. Griswold, interrupting their conversation, declared the painting a forgery. His reasoning was based on the title and the depicted details. The "Equinox" referred to in the title could only be the autumnal equinox (September 23rd), given the autumn foliage. However, at the autumnal equinox, Daylight Saving Time is in effect. Therefore, sunrise would occur at approximately 7:00 A.M., not 6:00 A.M. as shown on the town hall clock. Griswold concluded that the notoriously detail-obsessed Hazlett would never have made such a fundamental chronological error, proving the painting was not authentic.
Characters[]
- Griswold
- Club Member (the narrator)
- Jennings
- Baranov
- Ingoldsby
- Lomax
- Louis Hazlett
- The New Hampshire Farmer
- The Farmer's Wife
See Also[]
List of short stories by Isaac Asimov