John Williamson (1862-1885)
Wallingford, Connecticut, 1867
Oil on canvas, 10 1/4 x 16 1/4”
Inscribed, signed and dated lower right

Williamson lived in Brooklyn, New York, but most likely he visited Wallingford on his way to or from northern New England. This scene is more intimate and has a closer viewpoint than his other paintings.

The trees that dominate in so lively a manner are a reminder that Williamson was also a fine still-life painter, who depicted flowers growing outdoors in the Pre-Raphaelite manner advocated by the Englishman John Ruskin. The painting’s size, brushwork, and clarity of light indicate that it was almost certainly painted outdoors. The spirit of place is palpable, and is underscored by the inscription at lower right.