Alexander Helwig Wyant Biography

Alexander Helwig Wyant was a member of the second generation of Hudson River School painters. His landscape paintings were often poetic, moody, and atmospheric - aligning him more closely with the American Barbizon movement. His earliest know painting dates from 1854. In 1857, after seeing George Inness's paintings in Cincinnati, Wyant was inspired to visit the master in New York City. With encouragement from Inness and the financial support of Nicholas Longworth of Cincinnati, he was able to study for a year at the National Academy and travel to Germany in 1865. Before returning to NYC in 1866, he visited England where he was influenced by the landscapes of Constable and Turner. In 1873, at the age of 37, Wyant suffered a paralytic stroke which forced him to paint with his left hand. He spent his winters in NYC and summers in the Adirondacks at Keene Valley. By 1880, he was spending more time at Keene Valley and in 1889, with his condition worsening, Wyant bought a home in the Catskills at Arkville, NY, an important center for American Barbizon painters.