Frederick Milton Grant was born in Sibley, Iowa in 1886. He lived in Chicago as an oil and watercolor landscape and still-life painter, studying at the Art Institute of Chicago with John Vanderpoel. In 1907 he traveled to Venice, Italy to become a student of William Merritt Chase and subsequently was give the annual award for best summer student. Grant followed Chase’s painterly technique and tendency towards romantic subject matter. In addition, Grant also traveled to Paris and studied Monet and Cézanne. Upon his return to Chicago, he grew into a respected member of the local art community. In 1914 he again took part in William Merritt Chase’s summer class in Carmel, California. Chase’s impact is seen particularly in the color in these later works of Grant’s. Frederick Milton Grant moved to Oakland, California in 1947 and passed away there in 1959.
Frederick Milton Grant had a penchant for landscapes that were large and striking in color yet also served to provide a background to another story, such as in the case of this piece. The influence of his teacher, William Merritt Chase, is seen in Grant’s color, content and technique. Grant worked in a range of medium, including etching, tempera and watercolor, encompassing subjects that varied among allegorical, religious and historical themes. Grant’s brushwork in this painting, particularly with the tree in the foreground, adds to the softness of the landscape. The work is also tonal in that Grant primarily employs green and blue.
The Beard Galleries, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Private Collection, Texas
Private Collection, Connecticut