Martin Johnson Heade (American 1819-1904)
One of the great Luminist landscape painters of the 19th century, Heade was also a naturalist and poet. His work is best known for four basic themes; atmospheric landscapes of marshes and shores; vividly colored paintings of tropical hummingbirds in their natural settings; floral still lifes (orchids, magnolias, Victorian vases with apple blossoms or roses); and, to a lesser extent, portraits.
He was born in Lumberville, Bucks County, Pa and studied with Edward and Thomas Hicks around 1838 and abroad in Italy, France and England for several years until 1843. Meade began exhibiting in 1841, but posessed of wanderlust, would travel around as a portrait painter throughout New England and the Midwest. In 1863-64 he visited Brazil and made subsequent painting trips to Nicaragua, Columbia, Puerto Rico and Jamaica. During the 1880′s he was living in Washington, DC and in 1883 he finally married and in 1885 settled permanently at St. Augistine, Florida.