Robert Watson

Mid Century Seascape and Figural Original oil painting on Linen

1956

Gorgeous tonalist oil painting woman walking in field by pond with home in background by Willis Seaver Adams (American, 1844-1921), circa 1880. Trees and an amazing sky in the background add depth and interest to this beautiful piece. Signed "W. S. Adams" lower right corner. Condition: Previous restoration includes relining of canvas. Frame is vintage gilt molded and wood frame and shows previous repair of molding losses. Image size: 20"H x 24"W. Willis Seaver Adams was known for his landscapes of the Connecticut River Valley. A relative recluse for much of his artistic life, his loneliness can be seen in much of his works. Oil miniatures were the focus for almost all of his later works. He is credited with over 425 oils, watercolors, and drawings. Willis Seaver was born in 1844 on a farm in Suffield, near the Connecticut River. He intermittently attended the Suffield Academy, and always wanted to be a painter. A wealthy doctor became his patron, and financed his studies in 1868 at the Royal Academy in Antwerp. When the doctor passed away, Adams returned home and struggled to make a living painting. After working for a photographer for three years, he opened his own studio. Adams helped organize Clevelands first watercolor exhibit in 1876. Soon thereafter, he completed a portrait of Rutherford B. Hayes, then governor of Ohio, prior to his becoming President of the United States. This portrait enhanced Adams notoriety. In 1878, Adams traveled to Italy where he opened a studio in Venice, and became friendly with neighbor James Whistler. Prior to returning to Springfield, Adams lived in Florence, Italy for three years. He returned to became an instructor for the Springfield Art Association, and began to exhibit his works at the galleries of James D. Gill. His first one-man exhibit was held there in 1894. Other successful exhibitions took place in Chicago, New York, and Boston. Although his works garnered respectable prices and reflected his success, Adams felt he was due more recognition. In 1906, he moved to Greenfield, Massachusetts and converted a barn into a studio. There, he fell into relative obscurity, accompanied mainly by his dog, Collie. In 1921, Adams passed away. Examples of Willis Adams works can be seen at the Kent Memorial Library, the Wadsworth Atheneum, and the Suffield Academy. Several Suffield residents are thought to own Adams paintings.

Olive Harvest in Southern Italy on Cold Coastal Morning Italian Riviera Olive Harvesters are bundled up against the cold and dust on a Harvest Morning, somewhere on the southern Italian coast by Francesco (Franco) Matera (Italy 20th C). In an Oak Frame. Franco a...

Blue Lake in the Rockies and Hunter - Oil on Linen Cascades and snow capped mountains over look a blue lake with a successful hunter carrying his trophy deer by Vern Byers (American...

"Christmas Morn" Sleigh in the Snow after W.C Bauer, London Oil on Linen 1937 Christmas Morning and a sleigh ride by Mrs. J.B. Anthony (American, 19th-20th C.)...

Sunrise on Nantucket Island Fisherman Gazing at the Sky 1929 Nantucket Sunrise, a Fisherman is gazing at the sky by James Francis Barker (American, 1872 – 1950). In the style of Albert Pinkham Ryder (1847 - 1917) was active/lived in New York, Massachusetts. Albert Ryder is known for Romanticism-pastoral landscape painting. Barker has a heavy impasto and extensive brushwork throughout and captures American Post Impressionism with this early sunrise on Nantucket Island scene. Image, 10.25"H x 14.25"W Signed "J. F. Barker" dated "3/29" on Stretcher bar verso Signed James F. Barker on Linen verso James F. Barker’s lineage traces back to eleven of the original Nantucket settlers. He was born in 1872 in Keokuk, Iowa, the son of a railroad ticketing agent and a New Orleanian of Spanish and French extraction. His ancestors on his father's side included 11 of the 15 families who settled Nantucket in 1659. He graduated from Cornell University in 1893 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and spent another year studying Architecture at the graduate level. He briefly worked at D. H. Burnham & Company and Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. before switching to education, With a degree in mechanical engineering and graduate degree in architecture, his career was centered among institutes of higher learning. Barker was also a skilled painter and a talented photographer. Barker specialized in waterfront, wharf, and beach scenes. The artist exhibited his work during the summer months at the Eagle’s Wing Studio on Union Street, having named the studio after a steamer, which had been captained by his grandfather. James Francis Barker (1872 – 10 December 1950) was the second president of the Rochester Athenæum and Mechanics Institute, succeeding Carleton B. Gibson, from 1916–1919. He also pursued painting, pottery, metal working, and cabinet making. Gravestone in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Nantucket He was born in 1872 in Keokuk, Iowa, the son of a railroad ticketing agent and a New Orleanian of Spanish and French extraction. His ancestors on his father's side included 11 of the 15 families who settled Nantucket in 1659. He graduated from Cornell University in 1893 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and spent another year studying Architecture at the graduate level. He briefly worked at D. H. Burnham & Company and Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. before switching to education, becoming Superintendent of the Manual Training Department at East Division High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1897. He left in 1904 to pursue similar positions at Grand Rapids High School and the Hackley School in Muskegon, Michigan. In 1906, he participated in the formation of East Technical High School in Cleveland, Ohio and served as its first principal. He married the former Kate Spooner in 1897 and raised one daughter. After being widowed in the late 1930s, he married Josephine M...

Three Sisters in the Cascade Range, Oregon Landscape scene depicting three snowcapped mountains, also known as "The Three Sisters," surrounded by evergreen trees by John Englehart...

Lauded by critics and collectors alike, the art of Gary Ernest Smith resonates in the mind and memory of contemporary America. Over the past years th...

Lauded by critics and collectors alike, the art of Gary Ernest Smith resonates in the mind and memory of contemporary America. Over the past years the artist’s one-man shows have att...

Lauded by critics and collectors alike, the art of Gary Ernest Smith resonates in the mind and memory of contemporary America. Over the past years the artist’s one-man shows have att...

New York Sunshine Golden Glow Cityscape Painting by British Urban Landscape Artist Angela Wakefield. This original is part of the New York Series, a ...

Valley Sunrise Colour Study, 2021 This painting is currently unframed but will come with a frame when purchased. Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. ...

An oil painting of a rural property on a sunny day in the United States. A man wears a cowboy hat, a denim shirt, and boots, while holding a shotgun. He's walking with determination to the left of the scene, with a medium sized black dog following him in tow. The bed of a pickup truck catches light in the distance, parked beside the residential structure. A farmhouse with a metal roof, and a wide-hooded porch, stands tall, offering shade and comfort, especially with cushioned armchars to sit on out-front. A few electrical poles reach up towards the sky, confirming the contemporary time frame. In the foreground, a garden is fenced in with wire and wood. A statuette of the Virgin Mary is placed within this fenced garden, absorbing sunlight alongside the plants. An apt depiction of contemporary Americana...