William Hart

William Hart painted quiet rural landscapes, often with cattle in meadows, lit by low angled sunlight and long shadows. He was part of the Hudson River School and had a special interest in cows as subjects.

He was born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1823 and moved with his family to Albany, New York, in 1831. He began by painting decorations on coaches and later spent three years studying in Europe from 1849. He became a member of the National Academy of Design and president of the American Watercolor Society. His brother James McDougal Hart was also a painter. He died in 1894. His work is in the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the High Museum of Art.

Cows in the Meadow and Grand Manan show his range, from farm to coast.