1903 Walpi Hopi Village, Arizona First Mesa Landscape circle of Elmer Wachtel

1903

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. Auctions records for the artist exceed $6,000. 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 Cleveland's 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.

Mt Shasta Spring Stroll on the River Beneath the Mountain Original Oil on Linen A solitary hiker on a trail with Northern California's Mt. Shasta in the distance by Joseph John Engl...

Two Maidens by a Stream after Narcissus Diaz de La Pena Original l Oil on Linen Idyllic painting of two girls walking along a path towards a stream in the Barbizon style of Narcisse ...

Late 19th Century Upstate New York Oil Painting Landscape by Frances B. Clark Moody rural Hudson River School style painting of Upstate ...

This is a unique painting. It is an oil painting on 22 carat gold leaf gilded on a canvas. CS Art comprises of two artists, one French, the other Norwegian. Th...

This work is a unique piece. It is an oil painting on linen canvas gilded with 24 carat gold leaf. CS Art comprises of two artists, one French, the other Norwe...

This painting is listed in the W.H. Cadbury and H.F. Marsh book Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait: Artist in the Adirondacks, Newark, Delaware, 1986, no.59.36t. It is hand-signed "AF Tait...

Lovely genre scene by American impressionist Henry Bacon (1839-1912). The Beekeeper's Daughter (1881) Oil on canvas 35" x 36" 42.5" x 33" x 3" framed Signed and dated "Henry Bacon ...