Chauncey Foster Ryder

Chauncey Foster Ryder was an American landscape painter raised largely in New Haven, Connecticut, where he began painting as a child. In his early twenties he moved to Chicago to study at the Art Institute and Smith’s Academy, later becoming an instructor there. After marrying Mary Dole Keith in 1891, Ryder relocated to Paris in 1901 to continue his artistic training. He studied at the Académie Julian under Jean-Paul Laurens and Raphael Collin, exhibiting regularly at the Paris Salon from 1903 to 1909. Influenced by fellow American artist Max Bohm, Ryder developed a dramatic, moody style. In 1907 he received an honorable mention at the Salon and began a lifelong partnership with New York dealer William Macbeth. Settling in New York, Ryder later traveled extensively through New England, drawing inspiration from its landscapes. His distinctive, recognizable style, especially his signature “Ryder green”, brought him lasting popularity and acclaim.