Artist Profile

Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait (1819–1905)

Born in Liverpool, England, on August 5, 1819, Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait was educated in Lancaster.  During his early teens, he worked as an art dealer in Manchester, where he taught himself to paint by copying master works at the Royal Institute.  He also worked for George Catlin, who had a traveling Indian exhibit in England.  Tait was fascinated by all aspects of the American West, an interest that convinced him to come to America in 1850. 

Educated as a lithographic artist and influenced by the art of Edwin Landseer and John Frederick Herring, Tait was to become one of the most celebrated and revered landscape artists in American art history.  Although Tait never traveled further west than Chicago, his paintings helped establish his reputation as a frontier artist.  Hunters and wildlife subject matter were skillfully captured, yet Tait drew his knowledge from his experiences in upstate New York – not the West.  But that minor detail was not a deterrent to his success.  Although many of his works did not contain hunters, many of those scenes still fall into the “hunt” category due to the inclusion of perfectly rendered animals and landscape scenes of all types.

Through his meticulously rendered English sporting paintings, western works and prints, Tait used his skill as a colorist to depict vivid light and shadow.  His scenes contained clear, clean whites that were considered by many artists difficult to convey without looking “dirty.”  This spark of clarity and his honest depiction of subjects of interest made him very popular.    Tait was elected to a full membership in the National Academy of Design in New York in 1858.

Tait mastered the play of bright highlights near very deep dark tones, a talent which created a personal style.  He worked out of New York City, but spent much time in the Adirondack Mountains.  He became an expert marksman and woodsman and, in doing so, learned much about the wilderness.  Tait used his art to depict man’s struggle with nature.  His work became the definitive art of the frontier—so much so, that Currier and Ives reproduced much of his work and made him one of the most popular artists of his time.

Arthur Tait also painted two subjects that might not be considered popular.  First, he mastered still life paintings of dead game.  This was to influence an entire generation of artists.  Secondly, he painted barnyard scenes – something one might not think would be popular.

Tait never changed his style or his approach to painting.  From 1860 until his death on April 28, 1905 in Yonkers, New York, all of his works were in the style with which he had built his popularity.  Throughout this entire time he was linked to and identified with the art life of New York City where he had lived most of his life. 

See great images of Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait by googling Arthur F. Tait+gallery images and you will find many paintings and prints done by the artist.

Copyright ARTtalk Vol. 18 No. 11 — September 2008