Society of american landscape painters

DEFINITION

A short-lived exhibition group of twelve Tonalist-style painters formed in 1898, its members held five annual exhibitions and then terminated their association in 1903. Only the first two exhibitions made much impression, and the others had mixed reviews. A reason given for the failure of sustaining interest is that the best-known Tonalist painters did not join such as Henry Ward Ranger, Dwight Tryon and Birge Harrison. Also, there was waning interest generally in Tonalism, and members of the Society went diverse ways. Source: Ralph Sessions, Introduction, "The Poetic Vision: American Tonalism", Spanierman Galleries, LLC exhibition book, 2005