Oil on canvas, 1915, signed and dated at lower right, presented in a period carved and giltwood frame, the original backing board retained a label from J. J. Gillespie Gallery in Pittsburgh.

Stretcher size 32 x 33 1/2 in.; Frame dimensions 36 x 37 3/4 in.

From the Estate of the late Margaret Fisher Terry, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Chapel Hill, North Carolina

William Henry Singer, Jr. was born in Ligonier, just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His family was involved in the steel business and quite affluent, but also with an artistic spirit. William’s father was a “Sunday painter” and his grandfather a painter and chair gilder. Under their influence, and the encouragement of his mother, William nurtured and developed his own painting skills.

After working in the family business for many years, William chose to focus on painting full time in 1900. He spent a year painting in Maine and then traveled to Paris to continue his studies at the Académie Julian. He and his wife eventually settled on the west coast of Norway, near the village of Olden on the Nordfjord.

William is best known for his glorious light-dappled Norwegian landscapes. Working in a post-impressionist style verging on pointillism, he captures his adopted home in all seasons. His paintings are in several collections, including the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown, Maryland. This museum was founded by the Singers in 1931 and mounted an exhibition Landscapes & Legends of Norway: William Singer & His Contemporaries in 2023.

Light surface grime; minor rubbing to frame. The original backing board has crumbled and is no longer present, but the gallery label remains.