VOLUMES
BACKUS IN THE LIGHT
BY JANIE GOULD
Book shares art, life of Florida’s
pre-eminent landscape artist
Tropical Light: The Art of A.E. Backus, the new book
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about the renowned Florida painter who lived in
Fort Pierce, stands as a virtual gallery of his work
with beautifully reproduced images of his landscapes,
seascapes, portraits and small-town scenes on nearly
every page.
Readers could spend hours poring over the visuals and
then, as I did, return to them again and again to seek something
new. Some of the most compelling images are of his
lesser-known works, including scenes he painted in Jamaica,
portraits that he did of people named and unnamed, murals
and his later ventures into semi-abstractionism.
The book, written by Natasha Kuzmanovic, an art historian
and conservator, and published by the A.E. Backus Museum
in association with the Vendome Press of New York, will
undoubtedly grace the coffee tables and waiting rooms of
Backus fans throughout Florida and beyond.
Much has been written about Backus, including the 1984
book A.E. Backus: Florida Artist, by Olive Dame Peterson,
whom the author cites, but this book obviously aims to be the
definitive study. In many ways, it succeeds admirably. Art
historians, Florida history buffs and others will find much to
ponder in the section on artistic influences on Backus.
The section on Backus’ patrons also has interest. A wide ar-
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Bahamian Sailboat, painted by Florida’s renowned artist A.E. Backus around 1951 in oil on canvas board, is in the Hicks Family Collection.