John William Casilear (1811-1893)
- John William Casilear (1811-1893)
- Woodland Scene
- Oil on canvas
- 14 ½ x 11 5/8 inches
- Estate Stamp, verso
John William Casiliear was born in New York City, where he lived and worked throughout his life, with the exception of frequent summers spent upstate and in Vermont, and two European sojourns in 1840-1843 and 1857-1858. At the age of fifteen, Casilear began studying with master engraver Peter Maverick, and subsequently supported himself through work as a banknote engraver. At the same time, he pursued his passion for landscape painting, persuading Asher B. Durand to take him on as a pupil and assistant in 1831. Casilear’s works reflect his teacher’s preference for precisely rendered, modest views of nature, and disdain for the overly dramatic.