Ralph Blakelock

All Artists | 1847–1919 | New York, New York

Ralph Blakelock began exhibiting work in prominent exhibitions in the late 1860s. As his style matured, he became especially noteworthy for his use of black, silhouetted trees against beautifully colored backgrounds of sun and clouds. Blakelock scraped, scratched, and burnished his painting surfaces, all in an effort to accentuate the natural appearance of his landscapes.

His struggles to support his family financially were in part to blame for his mental breakdown in 1899. While institutionalized over the last 20 years of his life, Blakelock witnessed his reputation soar, as paintings were resold for many times what he had received.