Artwork Description

George Herbert Baker – Indiana Winter Landscape
Oil on Canvas | 1915

A serene winter scene by George Herbert Baker, this painting captures the quiet beauty of an Indiana landscape, possibly Richmond, blanketed in snow. Patches of dark earth emerge through the white expanse, while bare trees and a few red houses dot the horizon beneath a crisp blue sky with drifting white clouds. Baker’s distinctive use of color and light lends a sense of atmosphere and depth, reflecting the tranquility of the Midwestern countryside.

Dimensions: 21.5" x 29.5" (Sight), 28" x 35" (Framed)
Condition: Relined, scattered inpainting.
Signature: Signed and dated lower left.

About the Artist:
George Herbert Baker (1878–1943) was a pivotal figure in the Richmond Group and a celebrated Indiana landscape painter. Born in Muncie, he spent most of his life in Richmond, where he developed his distinctive style. Early in his career, he painted farm machinery at the Gaar-Scott Company alongside Charles Conner before studying at the Cincinnati Art Academy and the Boothbay Art School in Maine.

A close friend and mentee of John Elwood Bundy, Baker shared a studio with him, and their artistic influences were deeply intertwined. His vivid use of color set him apart, particularly in his landscapes of all seasons, as well as his later pastel and marine works. Baker exhibited extensively throughout the United States and Indiana, frequently earning accolades at the Richmond Palette Club and Annual Exhibits.

Today, his works are held in esteemed collections, including the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Richmond Art Museum, Earlham College, and the Miami University Art Museum. This evocative winter landscape is a fine example of Baker’s ability to capture the changing moods of the American Midwest.