William Bliss Baker (November 27, 1859 – November 20, 1886) was an American artist who began painting just as the

Hudson River School The Hudson River School was a mid-19th century American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters whose aesthetic vision was influenced by Romanticism. The paintings typically depict the Hudson River Valley and the surrounding area ...

was winding down. Baker began his studies in 1876 at the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the f ...

, where he studied with Bierstadt and de Haas. He later maintained studios in

Clifton Park, New York Clifton Park is a suburban town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, the 2020 population was 38,029. The name is derived from an early land patent.Bits and Pieces of Saratoga County History by ...

and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, where he painted in

oils An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

and

watercolors Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (British English; see spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin ''aqua'' "water"), is a painting method”Watercolor may be as old as art itself, going back to t ...

. He completed more than 130 paintings, including several in black and white. At age 26, Baker was just beginning to hit his stride as a landscape painter when he died at his father's house at

Hoosick Falls, New York Hoosick Falls is a village in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 3,501 at the 2010 census. During its peak, in 1900, the village had a population of approximately 7,000. The village of Hoosick Falls is near the center ...

. ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' said that his death "deprived America of one of its most promising artists."

Biography

Early life and family

Baker was born November 27, 1859, in

, the son of

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

alumnus Benjamin Franklin Baker (b. 1834) and Harriette Luisa Bayeux (married 1857). Harriette was descended from well-to-do

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

s who moved from France to New York before the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

. Benjamin's father was Ellis Baker (1793–1873), director of the Albany City Bank, Albany Mutual Insurance Company, and People's Line Steamboats, as well as founder of

Albany Rural Cemetery The Albany Rural Cemetery was established October 7, 1844, in Colonie, New York, United States, just outside the city of Albany, New York. It is renowned as one of the most beautiful, pastoral cemeteries in the U.S., at over . Many historical A ...

and Albany Hospital. He also operated stagecoach lines from Albany to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

as well as north and west of Albany. Benjamin served during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

as a colonel in the 43rd Regiment of the New York State Volunteers. Later, he commanded the Light Division of Sixth Corps (part of the

Army of the Potomac The Army of the Potomac was the principal Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. It was created in July 1861 shortly after the First Battle of Bull Run and was disbanded in June 1865 following the surrender of the Confedera ...

) as a

Brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. He was noted for his bravery during the charge at

Marye's Heights The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnsi ...

during the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnsi ...

. After the war, he joined the Loyal Legion, then served as a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

from 1880 to 1882. William's best-known brother was Captain Guy Ellis Baker (b. 1858), who married Louisa Irene Palma Di Cesnola, daughter of

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

recipient General Louis Palma di Cesnola. His other brothers included Benjamin Henry (b. 1869), George Clinton (b. 1872), and Ashley Bayeux (b. 1877). Baker spent much of his boyhood in the town of

Ballston Spa Ballston Spa is a village and the county seat of Saratoga County, New York, United States, located southwest of Saratoga Springs. The population of the village, named after Rev. Eliphalet Ball, a Congregationalist clergyman and an early settler, w ...

, and his family discovered and purchased the property where he would build his summer studio, "The Castle", on the shores Ballston Lake.

Study and career

For four years beginning in 1876, Baker studied at the

, where he studied with

Albert Bierstadt Albert Bierstadt (January 7, 1830 – February 18, 1902) was a German-American painter best known for his lavish, sweeping landscapes of the American West. He joined several journeys of the Westward Expansion to paint the scenes. He was no ...

and Mauritz F. H. de Haas. In 1879, he won the Elliott prize during his first exhibit. In 1885, Baker won the Hallgarten Prize for his ''Woodland Brook''. By 1881, Baker had built a summer studio named "The Castle" on the east side of Ballston Lake in the town of Clifton Park, north of

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...

. The studio was designed to have excellent views of the Catskill and Berkshire Mountains, and had excellent natural lighting. The Clifton Park Historic Preservation Commission awarded "The Castle" its Historic Designation plaque, and a "Clifton Park Register of Historic Places" sign also marks the studio property. The home is now a private residence, and it is not open to the public. Baker also had a studio in the Knickerbocker Building in New York City.

Death

Baker was just beginning to hit his stride as a landscape painter in the

Realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *Classical Realism *Literary realism, a move ...

movement when he died on November 20, 1886 at the age of 26 of a cold at his father's house at

, after sustaining injuries while ice skating. His final completed work was ''Meadow Brook''. Baker completed over 130 paintings during his career. A contemporary art critic said that his death was "a distinct loss to American art". The ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' stated that his death "deprived America of one of its most promising artists." ''

Harper's Weekly ''Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization'' was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor, ...

'' stated that " e tidings of this young artist's untimely death ... will be received with sincere regret by all those who take an intelligent interest in the growth of native American art." The ''

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'' wrote that " e young artist was animated by an intense love of nature, which he manifested from his earliest years, and this, aided by his great industry and energy, was among the chief elements of his success in the line of art he had chosen. His untimely death will be deeply regretted by all who take an intelligent interest in American artistic progress." He is buried in a family plot in

Menands, New York Menands is a village in Albany County, New York, United States. The population was 3,990 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Louis Menand. The village lies inside the town of Colonie and borders the northern city line of Albany. H ...

(see image, right).

Works

Fallen Monarchs 1886 by William Bliss Baker

Baker was awarded the 1884 Third

Hallgarten Prize The Julius Hallgarten Prizes (defunct) were a trio of prestigious art prizes awarded by the National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samue ...

by the National Academy of Design for ''A Woodland Brook''. ''Fallen Monarchs'', considered to be Baker's masterpiece, was painted in 1886 in the Ballston Lake area. The original is owned by

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

Provo, Utah Provo ( ) is the fourth-largest city in Utah, United States. It is south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the largest city and county seat of Utah County and is home to Brigham Young University (BYU). Provo lies between the ...

, where it hangs in the BYU Museum of Art. A small copy of this painting hangs in the public library in the town of Ballston. His 1883 painting, ''A Pleasant Day at Lake George'' hangs in the Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake, New York. Another of his paintings, ''Morning After the Snow'', sold for $5,000 in 1887 (the equivalent of about $109,000 in 2006 dollars). ''Morning'' and an additional 129 of his paintings sold at that

auction An auction is usually a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bids, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder or buying the item from the lowest bidder. Some exceptions to this definition ex ...

for a combined total of nearly $15,000 (almost $360,000 in 2010 dollars).

Black and white

Listed alphabetically by title. *''The Brook'' (date unknown) *''Cattle Grazing Near a Stream Through the Pasture'' (date unknown) *''Dark Forest'' (ca.1880, 24" x 20", oil on canvas) *''Morning in the Meadows'' (ca. 1883) *''Snow Scene'' (date unknown, 12 x 9 inches) *''Wood Interior'' (date unknown, 8 x 11 inches) *''Wood Interior'' (date unknown, 17.5 x 21.5 inches)

Color

Hiding in the Haycocks (1881) by William Bliss Baker

Landscape Grez by William Bliss Baker ca1882 - from Horace C Henry Collection at Henry Art Gallery University of Washington

Shadows in a Pool by William Bliss Baker

Woodland Scene by William Bliss Baker, 1885

;Date known:Listed alphabetically by year. Current location listed (if known). *''River View'' (1877) *''Deep in the Woods'' (1880) *''Hiding in the Haycocks'' (1881, housed in the

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is an art museum in Memphis, Tennessee. The Brooks Museum, which was founded in 1916, is the oldest and largest art museum in the state of Tennessee. The museum is a privately funded nonprofit institution located in ...

) *''Landscape: Grez'' (ca.1882, housed as part of the Horace C. Henry Collection at the

Henry Art Gallery The Henry Art Gallery ("The Henry") is a contemporary art museum located on the University of Washington campus in Seattle, Washington. Located on the west edge of the university's campus along 15th Avenue N.E. in the University District, it wa ...

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

) *''New York Harbour'' (1883) *''A Pleasant Day at Lake George'' (1883, housed in the Adirondack Experience: The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, New York) *''Silence'' (1883, 24 x 30 inches) *''View of New York Harbor, with Brooklyn Bridge in the Distance'' (1883) *''October Morning'' (1884) *''First Fall of Snow'' (1884) *''First Snow of Winter'' (1884) *''Summer Evening'' (ca.1884) *''Woodland Brook'' (ca.1884-1885, housed at the

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA; french: Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, MBAM) is an art museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest art museum in Canada by gallery space. The museum is located on the historic Golden Square ...

Montréal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-p ...

) *''Lake Luzerne'' (ca.1885) *''Morning After the Snow'' (1885, 57 x 39 inches, housed in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, St. Bonaventure University) *''Woodland Scene'' (1885, 38 x 50 inches, housed at the Avery Galleries, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania) *''Fallen Monarchs'' (1886, housed in the Museum of Art at

) *''Under the Apple Trees'' (1886, 36 x 24 inches) *''Meadow Brook'' (ca.1886, 21 x 16 inches, his last completed work) ;Date unknown:Listed alphabetically by title. *''Apple Blossoms'' (12 x 8 inches) *''Apple Blossoms'' (20 x 12 inches) *''Apple Trees'' (12 x 20 inches) *''April Day'' (23.5 x 14 inches) *''April Snow'' (36 x 20 inches) *''Autumn'' (11.5 x 9.5 inches) *''Autumn Forest Landscape'' *''Autumn in Woods'' *''Autumn Leaves'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Autumn Study'' (20'' x 12'' inches) *''Autumn Trees by Stream'' *''Autumn Woods'' (22 x 13 inches) *''Autumn Woods'' (20.5 x 12 inches) *''Autumn Woods'' (12.5 x 8.5 inches) *''Autumn Woods'' (22 x 30 inches) *''Banks of Schoharie'' (19.5 x 18.5 inches) *''Banks of the Schoharie'' (14 x 10 inches) *''Bed of a Brook'' (12 x 19 inches) *''Bed of Brook'' (12 x 19 inches) *''Bed of Brook Morse Mountain, Adirondacks'' (12 x 17.5 inches) *''Branches of Elm'' (21 x 29 inches) *''Brook and Pasture'' (20'' x 12'' inches) *''Brook and Woods'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Catskill Clove'' (12 x 10 inches) *''Church Beyond a Meadow'' *''Clump of Trees'' (11.5 x 19.5 inches) *''Clover Field'' (12.5 x 19 inches) *''A Cool Retreat'' (29 x 22 inches) *''Corn Fields and Pasture'' (12 x 9.5 inches) *''Corn Stalks'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Cows Watering in a Pond'' *''Daisies'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Dead Leaves'' (12.5 x 19.5 inches) *''Dried Up'' (12 x 9.5 inches) *''Early Autumn'' (20 x 28 inches) *''Edge of the Creek'' (19 x 11.5 inches) *''Edge of the Woods'' (17 x 12 inches) *''An Elm'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Fallen (A Study)'' (22.5 x 13.5 inches) *''A Forest Glade'' (12.5 x 10 inches) *''Forest Road'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Forest Sunshine'' (12.5 x 9 inches) *''Fort Lee, Hudson River'' (size unknown inches) *''Gathering Chestnuts'' (12 x 19.5 inches) *''Golden Rod'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Harvest Study'' (12 x 8.5 inches) *''Harvest Time'' (12.5 x 9.5 inches) *''Haycocks'' (11.5 x 9 inches) *''A Haze'' (11.5 x 8 inches) *''In the Hayfield'' (12 x 9 inches) *''In the Old Pasture'' *''June'' (28 x 14 inches) *''June Pastures'' (12 x 19.5 inches) *''June Sunshine'' (22.5 x 15.5 inches) *''Landscape'' (14 x 22 inches) *''Landscape'' (19.5 x 13.5 inches) *''Landscape'' (22.5 x 13 inches) *''Landscape with Cattle'' *''Lowlands'' (12 x 7 inches) *''Marine'' *''Meadow and Woodland'' (12 x 10 inches) *''Mossy Stumps'' (12 x 10 inches) *''Mountain Top'' (20 x 13 inches) *''New York Harbor, City Front'' (19 x 7 inches) *''Old Mill Pond'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Opening in Woods'' (16 x 10 inches) *''The Old Orchard'' (13.5 x 22.5 inches) *''Old Stump'' (12 x 9.5 inches) *''Orchard in June'' (12 x 16 inches) *''Outlet of a Lake'' (19'' x 13'' inches) *''Pasture'' (20 x 12 inches) *''Pasture'' (18 x 14 inches) *''Pasture'' (12 x 10 inches) *''Pasture'' (12.5 x 10 inches) *''Pool and Meadow'' (12 x 10 inches) *''Pool and Upland'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Quiet Pond'' *''A Quiet Pond, Connecticut'' *''Quiet Winter Afternoon'' *''The Roadside'' (20 x 12 inches) *''Rock Study, North Shore, Lake Ontario'' (18 x 12 inches) *''Rocky Pool'' (10 x 13 inches) *''Rough Pasture'' (12 x 9 inches) *''Schoharie Creek'' (19.75 x 14 inches) *''Second Growth Timber'' (12.5 x 9.5 inches) *''The Sentinel'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Shadows in a Pool'' *''Shadows in the Pool'' (12 x 10 inches) *''Shady Pool'' (12 x 19 inches) *''Sheep Pasture'' (13 x 10.5 inches) *''Snarled Roots'' (18 x 11 inches) *''Snow'' (6.5 x 10.5 inches) *''Snow Scene'' (42 x 30 inches) *''Solitude'' (50 x 38 inches) *''Spring Pasture'' (12.5 x 9.25 inches) *''Standing Grass'' (12 x 10 inches) *''Still Pool in the Woods'' (19.5 x 12 inches) *''Study of Autumn Leaves'' (12 x 10 inches) *''Study of Ferns'' (12 x 10 inches) *''Study of Ferns'' (#2, 12 x 10 inches) *''Study of Forest'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Study of Rocks and Fallen Timber'' (18 x 12 inches) *''Study of Snow'' (14 x 20 inches) *''Study of Tree'' (11.5 x 19.5 inches) *''Study of Trees'' (11.5 x 18 inches) *''Study of Trees'' (5.5 x 12.5 inches) *''Study of Woods'' (10.5 x 13 inches) *''Summer Afternoon'' *''Summer Pasture'' (13 x 6.5 inches) *''Summer Woodland'' (12 x 10 inches) *''Sunlight in the Woods'' (14 x 11.5 inches) *''Sunlit Brook'' (12 x 19 inches) *''Sunlit Pastures'' (15 x 11 inches) *''Sunny Brook'' (19.5 x 12 inches) *''Sunrise on New York Harbor'' *''Sunset'' (12.5 x 9 inches) *''Surf'' (22'' x 15'' inches) *''Surf'' (22.5 x 14 inches) *''Timber Belt'' (20 x 12 inches) *''Tree Top'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Tree Trunks'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Tree Trunks'' (14 x 12 inches) *''Trees and Meadow'' (12 x 10 inches) *''Under the Hill'' (12 x 9 inches) *''Valley of Hudson from Catskills'' (12 x 10 inches) *''Water Fall'' (12 x 20 inches) *''Winter Forest'' (20 x 12 inches) *''Winter Twilight'' (12 x 9 inches) *''Wood Interior'' (22 x 13.5 inches) *''Wood Interior'' (21 x 15.5 inches) *''Wood Interior'' (22 x 30 inches) *''Wood Interior'' (21 x 29 inches) *''Wood Opening'' (11 x 19.5 inches) *''Wooded Glade'' *''Woodland Shade'' (12.5 x 10 inches) *''Woodland Study'' (12.5 x 8.5 inches) *''Woods in June'' (12 x 10 inches) *''Young Cattle'' (15.5 x 12 inches) *''Young Timber'' (12 x 10 inches)

Reception and legacy

While Baker is relatively unknown to the general public, he was well known to art critics of the day and was considered "one of the leading landscape painters of America". He is considered to be part of the

. Baker "rapidly ascended to the head of his profession" by the age of 25. His landscapes were variously described as "characteristic llyAmerican" and "true character studies in which varieties of vegetation and the varying influence of light and weather were identified with amazing skill." One critic in 1883 described the black and white work ''Morning in the Meadows'' as "brilliant" though perhaps too detailed. Regarding his death, ''

'' said it "deprived America of one of its most promising artists."

Notes

References

Works cited

* * * * * * * * *

External links

William Bliss Baker at American Art Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, William Bliss 1859 births 1886 deaths 19th-century American painters American landscape painters American male painters American realist painters Painters from New York City Hudson River School painters People from Clifton Park, New York 19th-century American male artists