Fallen Monarchs, is considered to be Baker’s masterpiece
When I first saw this William_Bliss_Baker, I thought, wow, that is almost photographic. Then I had the feeling he tweaked the light to enhance a reaction in the mind. I thought it was just off natural light enough that the brain perceived it subconsciously and created a reaction that I was seeing something familiar with new eyes or for the first time. It was a wonderful impression if that is what he did.
It is too bad how quickly those first impressions fade. I saw this in November and was thinking of a lot of things I wanted to say but now it is harder. I had never heard of him before and, like it was said somewhere, he is little known now.
He painted in oils and watercolors. He completed more than 130 paintings, including several in black and white.
Baker was just beginning to hit his stride as a landscape painter in the Realism movement when he died on November 20, 1886 at the age of 26 of a cold at his father’s house at Hoosick Falls, New York, after sustaining injuries while ice skating.
The image quality is poor in the online repro but it still looks like one of the best forest paintings I have ever seen. He must have been a genius to do all this before 27. What an artistic vision he must have had and for the world to lose that so quickly is a shame.
This snow scene is considered another great one. The same uncanny valley light was in this one. What it sort of reminds me of was the light during the full eclipse a couple of years ago.
Some more of his work. There is more online. The last 2 are by Watts, an English guy, also great.