Willis Seaver Adams
Encyclopedia
Willis Seaver Adams was a landscape painter who studied under James Abbott McNeill Whistler. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium
and was part of the Tonalism
movement, which took place in the late 19th century.
, in 1842. His father was Stephen Lorenzo Adams, also known as Pole Adams; his mother was Susan Adams. His father was a farmer and operated a tavern out of the house located by the Enfield
and Suffield Covered bridge
over the Connecticut River
. In Willis' childhood, his father attempted to make him a farmer and a school master yet failed due to Willis' dreams to be involved with art. From 1857 to 1862 Adams sporadically attended the Connecticut Literary Institute, now known as Suffield Academy
. While at the school Adams filled his books with sketches of animals and the people around him.
While working at a drug store in Springfield, a wealthy Springfield doctor named Dr. Holmes privately funded Adams to attend the Royal Academy in Antwerp in 1868, but Adams was forced to return to Springfield when his sponsor died soon after.
, for a two-week vacation that extended into a two-year residence (1876–1878) where he met some other young, upcoming artists, Otto Bacher and Sion L. Wenban. He was a member of the Cleveland Art Club and the Cleveland Academy of Fine Arts. He also painted a portrait of then governor and later president Rutherford B. Hayes
. During his time in Cleveland, Adams avoided capturing industrial motifs in his paintings or scenes depicting modern advances of 19th century life, which led to his naturalist ideology; he also developed an interest in spiritualism.
. He was friends with James Abbott McNeill Whistler in Venice
, Italy
.
, Kent Memorial Library in Suffield, The Wadsworth Atheneum
, Mount Holyoke College
and Smith College
. In 1966, Deerfield Academy organized a retrospective exhibit.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and was part of the Tonalism
Tonalism
Tonalism was an artistic style that emerged in the 1880s when American artists began to paint landscape forms with an overall tone of colored atmosphere or mist. Between 1880 and 1915, dark, neutral hues such as gray, brown or blue, often dominated compositions by artists associated with the style...
movement, which took place in the late 19th century.
Early life
Willis Seaver Adams was born near Suffield, ConnecticutSuffield, Connecticut
Suffield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It had once been within the boundaries of Massachusetts. The town is located in the Connecticut River Valley with the town of Enfield neighboring to the east. In 1900, 3,521 people lived in Suffield; and in 1910, 3,841. As of the...
, in 1842. His father was Stephen Lorenzo Adams, also known as Pole Adams; his mother was Susan Adams. His father was a farmer and operated a tavern out of the house located by the Enfield
Enfield, Connecticut
Enfield is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 45,212 at the 2000 census. It sits on the border with Longmeadow, Massachusetts and East Longmeadow, Massachusetts to the north, Somers to the east, East Windsor and Ellington to the south, and the...
and Suffield Covered bridge
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
over the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
. In Willis' childhood, his father attempted to make him a farmer and a school master yet failed due to Willis' dreams to be involved with art. From 1857 to 1862 Adams sporadically attended the Connecticut Literary Institute, now known as Suffield Academy
Suffield Academy
Suffield Academy is a private coeducational preparatory school located in Suffield, Connecticut, USA. It was founded in 1833. The Headmaster is Charles Cahn III.-Overview:...
. While at the school Adams filled his books with sketches of animals and the people around him.
While working at a drug store in Springfield, a wealthy Springfield doctor named Dr. Holmes privately funded Adams to attend the Royal Academy in Antwerp in 1868, but Adams was forced to return to Springfield when his sponsor died soon after.
Ohio
Willis Seaver Adams traveled to Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, for a two-week vacation that extended into a two-year residence (1876–1878) where he met some other young, upcoming artists, Otto Bacher and Sion L. Wenban. He was a member of the Cleveland Art Club and the Cleveland Academy of Fine Arts. He also painted a portrait of then governor and later president Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was the 19th President of the United States . As president, he oversaw the end of Reconstruction and the United States' entry into the Second Industrial Revolution...
. During his time in Cleveland, Adams avoided capturing industrial motifs in his paintings or scenes depicting modern advances of 19th century life, which led to his naturalist ideology; he also developed an interest in spiritualism.
Europe
In 1878, Adams traveled to Europe with Otto Bacher and became one of the "Duveneck Boys," a young group of American artists studying with Frank DuveneckFrank Duveneck
Frank Duveneck was an American figure and portrait painter.-Youth:Duveneck was born in Covington, Kentucky, the son of German immigrant Bernard Decker. Decker died when Frank was only a year old and his widow remarried Joseph Duveneck...
. He was friends with James Abbott McNeill Whistler in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Connecticut
When he returned from Europe, Adams began a long association with James D. Gill, at whose galleries Adams exhibited often. Adams eventually settled in the Connecticut River Valley and devoted his later years to oil miniatures as well as landscapes of Connecticut River Valley scenes. These landscapes reflect Whistler's influence. Adams often used a reduced pallette and avoided detail with the aim of capturing an atmsophere and mood.Legacy
Adams' painting can be located today at Suffield AcademySuffield Academy
Suffield Academy is a private coeducational preparatory school located in Suffield, Connecticut, USA. It was founded in 1833. The Headmaster is Charles Cahn III.-Overview:...
, Kent Memorial Library in Suffield, The Wadsworth Atheneum
Wadsworth Atheneum
The Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest public art museum in the United States, with significant holdings of French and American Impressionist paintings, Hudson River School landscapes, modernist masterpieces and contemporary works, as well as extensive holdings in early American furniture and...
, Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
and Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
. In 1966, Deerfield Academy organized a retrospective exhibit.