Walter Emerson Baum

(b 1884; d 1956) American Impressionist painter, Walter Emerson Baum was born in Sellersville, Pennsylvania in 1884. He spent his entire career working there, capturing scenes from the surrounding landscape during plein air painting excursions, often with his wife Flora by his side. He is best known for his landscapes, executed during the 1920s and 30s, which depict small rural houses in Bucks County Pennsylvania. Later in his career, he abandoned oil paint in favor of tempera and casein and this move corresponds to a decline in the quality of his work. Baum was a beloved teacher as well, and he helped to found the Baum School of Art and the Allentown Art Museum. Today his work is included in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as well as numerous other museum collections.