VOLUMES
83
But no one is going to buy the book for the text. The color
plates are awesome and as I looked at them, again and again,
I tried to pick a favorite. His impressionistic-style scenes
represent such a departure from the backcountry landscapes
for which he is best known. Tenor Man, his 1946 portrait of an
unidentified musician, astounded me with its color and shading,
as did Seminole Woman, painted around 1939.
Harvesting Florida, depicted in a two-page spread, shows
Seminole women picking the state’s winter vegetable
crops,such as tomatoes and beans, while a man swings a machete
toward a cabbage palm. Baskets filled with the bounty,
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including heart of palm, stand in the foreground. The dramatic
panorama, which includes a stylized map of Florida,
reflects the influence of the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, as
the book states.
Backus also drew inspiration from work of the French
Impressionists. The text delves into this influence, but nothing
says it better than two works displayed on the same page:
Backus’ Pond at Edenlawn, which he painted about 1939, and
Claude Monet’s 1906 work, Water Lilies, shown in a detail view.
Tropical Light: The Art of A.E. Backus is a visual feast for the
many admirers of this notable native son of Fort Pierce.
Backus’ portfolio includes paintings of boats, docks and boat houses in
Florida or Caribbean settings.
The book, published by the A.E. Backus Museum, shines new light on
Backus’ effective use of color when painting Florida’s brilliant sunsets.
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