Willis Seaver Adams1844-1921

By Morgan Fog, Beverly Rogan, and Shang Wu!

Born in 1844 in Suffield, Connecticut, Willis Seaver Adams mostly painted landscapes of the New England

area. He attended Suffield Academy “sporadically,” and afterwards went to the Royal Academy of Antwerp in

Belgium. Adams then opened a studio in Venice, Italy, after living in Cleveland, Ohio for two years. In Venice he became friends with world-renowned artist James

McNeil Whistler. Adams eventually moved back to America, and spent his last days in Greenfield,

Massachusetts. He lived with his dog, Collie, and died in 1921.

Feather Street, Suffield, Conn.

Artist: Willis Seaver AdamsOil on canvasPainted: 1896

Vs.

Hoar Frost

Artist: Walter Launt PalmerOil on canvasPainted: Undated, late nineteenth centuryNote: Palmer lived between 1854 and 1932

AnalysisWhen looking mainly at the surface and facts of Adams’ “Feather Street” and Palmer’s “Hoar Frost”, one can see many similarities. They both capture snowy, winter landscapes of trees and tall grass; the landscapes were both painted during the late 1800s and or early 1900s; and while born only ten years apart, Adams and Palmer share the same style of American Impressionism. However, when looking more in depth of the paintings, one can also notice many differences between the two. The presence of human alterations displayed through the barn, fence, and road in Adam’s painting is much different than Palmer’s, whose painting seems to contain no presence of human nature at all. Adam’s trees also seem straighter and more upright, while Palmer’s trees seem much more natural and serpentine.

Looking across the River from My Garden In Suffield

Artist: Willis Seaver AdamsOil on canvasPainted: Between 1900-1906

Vs.

French 19th Century Landscape

Artist: Jean-Baptiste Camille CorotOil on canvasPainted: Unknown

AnalysisLooking across the River from My Garden in Suffield is an oil on canvas painting that was completed between the years 1900 to 1906. This was painted after he had become a recluse. During this time, his choice of painting became vastly different as he began to paint lonely landscapes called “oil miniatures”. It is evident in the painting, Looking across the River from My Garden in Suffield that Adams chooses to paint a lonely

landscape of a wide-open scenery that only captures the natural aspect of his Suffield garden. There are no houses or people in the painting but only a black and white horse and a flock of birds. The horses seem to be

the focal point of the painting though they also seem to represent companionship, which is interesting because it was something that

Adam was never able to find or chose not to find. The overall lighting throughout the painting is rather dim and not very bright except for the streak of light in the background that illuminates part of the field. The

painting is definitely a work of art that truly captures the natural landscapes of the American countryside. Today this painting is owned

by Deerfield Academy with several others of Adam’s works.

Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot

July 17, 1796-February 22, 1875Born into a family of wealthFrench Landscape paintedBorn into a family of wealthLeading painter of the Barbizon school of FranceBecame a renowned artist and an inspiration to further realist French painters

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