Henry Bacon Paintings

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.

Antique American impressionist fall landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Nicely framed in a giltwood molding. Measuring: 16 by 21 inches overall, and 12 by 17.25 painting a...

A 19th century American landscape depicting a quiet coastal or lakeside scene at dusk, where a small cluster of houses rests along the water’s edge beneath a softly glowing sky. A n...

Walpi Hopi Village, Arizona First Mesa Landscape by Marion Kavanaugh Wachtel. Significant southwestern painting of Hopi at Walpi Mesa in Arizona...

A 19th century American landscape depicting a pastoral valley framed by autumnal trees, with distant mountains rising softly along the horizon. A river winds through the foreground, ...

“Quebec City, 1853” by Edmund C. Coates (American, 1816-1871). A luminous 19th-century view of Quebec City by the American painter Edmund C. Coates, known for his detailed Hudson Ri...

About this work: “Manchester-by-the-Sea” by Ann Sophia Towne Darrah (American, 1819-1881). Darrah was among the earliest American women to establish a professional reputation as a p...

An atmospheric twilight scene by Alessandro Altamura, depicting a tranquil river teeming with activity, likely set near the forest landscape of Fontainebleau in France. The compositi...

An atmospheric sunset after the rain. The light reflected on the still-wet street is creating the most beautifully shimmering light. Two village women carrying baskets are chatting, ...

Arthur Parton Cows in a Stream, 1880 Signed and dated lower left Oil on canvas 20 x 16 inches Along with his younger brother Ernest Parton, Arthur Parton was a prominent figure wit...

About this work: “Lake in the Adirondacks” by Levi Wells Prentice (American, 1851-1935). A charming and finely detailed Adirondacks landscape by Prentice. This composition looks out...

Antique American sunset seascape oil painting. Oil on board. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 18 by 24 inches overall, and 12.25 by 18 painting alone.. In excellent original condition. Ha...