Allen Butler Talcott

His paintings, usually landscapes depicting the local scenery and often executed en plein air, were generally Barbizon and Tonalist, sometimes incorporating elements of Impressionism.

Allen Butler Talcott was born on April 8, 1867, in Hartford, Connecticut,[1] into an established and prominent New England family.

His artistic inclinations were apparent at an early age, as he created sketches of teachers and fellow students in the margins of his grade school books.

[7] Talcott had gained a fondness for French Impressionism and was exposed to its American equivalent at Cos Cob, Connecticut, in the late 1890s.

[7] But Ranger and Tryon were stronger influences on Talcott, and his early paintings are primarily Barbizon and Tonalist[6] – landscapes in shades of brown, green and gold.

[6] Around this time, Hassam was bringing Impressionism to the colony, and many of the artists including Talcott began moving in that direction.

[7] He retained the Tonalist interest in a unified set of colors, while incorporating the Impressionist concentration on the effects of light by lightening his palette.

[2] Although he created some portraits, for example, of family members,[8] his subject matter consisted primarily of landscapes, often depicting scenes in and around Old Lyme and along the Connecticut River.

"[2] Talcott liked to work en plein air, creating oil sketches which he painted on wood panels.

[1] As part of its eightieth anniversary celebration in 1983, the New Britain Museum of American Art featured an exhibition of Talcott landscapes.