Gallery
19TH & 20TH CENTURY
William Moore Davis ( American, 1829 - 1920 )
The Mill
Oil on Canvas, Signed l.r. "Wm M. Davis"
12" x 7" / 16 1/2" x 11 1/2" Framed ( Original Period Frame )
Price Available Upon Request
Born in Setauket, New York, William Davis was a painter of trompe l'oeil still life, genre, and landscapes and was primarily self taught. He trained as a boat builder in Port Jefferson, Long Island.
Davis achieved national recognition in 1962 for three paintings based on the Civil War. The Neglected Picture, a trompe l'oeil image of President Jefferson Davis in a frame behind broken glass brought him great fame. The painting was widely reproduced in print and postcard form. In 1868, Davis exhibited still-life paintings at the National Academy of Design. From 1863-1871, he exhibited at the Brooklyn Art Association.
In 1872, he moved to Long Island and never again exhibited in New York, possibly because some of his painting was politically controversial.
He associated with artist William Sidney Mount.
Museums (2): William Davis
Butler Institute of American Art
The Long Island Museum of American Art, History and Carriages