Among the most well-known of chandler painters was the artist William Henry Chandler (1854-1928). Chandler was born in New York City and raised by deeply religious parents. He was also a highly productive painter of landscape scenes. He painted the scenery of New England, including many lakes, mountains and cottages. He also did many portraits of families, as well as a number of lithograph prints.
In addition to his painting activities, Chandler was a chemist who invented the Chandler Oil Refining process. This process allowed oil companies to refine crude oils much more efficiently than before. The process also significantly reduced the amount of hazardous waste created by petroleum refining. During the Great Depression, Chandler was active in relief work and helped found the Worcester Art Association.
While he did occasionally travel, he spent most of his working life in northwestern Massachusetts. During this time he married and had three children, but his wife and youngest daughter died young. This left him to care for his two surviving daughters with the assistance of his sister.
Chandler specialized in painting local landscapes and buildings. His style was influenced by English and French Impressionism, as well as by the folklore of the New England villages he visited. He also drew upon his family history in his paintings.
For example, the Putnam and McClellan overmantels depict houses built by two of his family’s close friends. Both were descendants of Deacon John Chandler and Esther Grosvenor, who were among the founders of Woodstock and Pomfret, respectively. Their great grandfathers were neighbors and friends of John Singleton Copley.
The majority of chandler painters were landscape artists, but they also did some floral still lifes, fruit bowls and hanging wild game. Occasionally, they would create seascapes and foreign scenes. Some of these were produced by Chandler himself, but others he employed as a stable of artists to fulfill orders.
At the height of his popularity, he was producing so many landscapes that he was not able to keep up with demand. He and his brother established the Chandler Company to market his works. They were sold through art dealers and department stores such as Marshall Fields, Sears, Higbee’s and The May Company in the United States and Simpson’s, Eaton’s and Hudson Bay in Canada. They were also marketed through calendars and print catalogs. It was estimated that he produced over 500,000 pastels during his career.