Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 6 works by Ben Foster in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals Ben Foster left, the most famous is In the Connecticut Hills (1914), in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Close behind it come Birch-Clad Hills (1908) and Early Moonlight (1912). Our catalog holds 6 works by Ben Foster; the gallery has kept the 6 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
There is a particular stillness that settles over the New England landscape when the light begins to fade or the clouds thicken. In this oil on canvas, we find ourselves looking into a wooded hillside, a scene that feels less like a captured moment and more like a lingering mood. The composition is defined by the rhythmic, vertical presence of slender tree trunks that anchor the foreground, drawing the eye…
The 5 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Ben Foster | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Reading Public Museum |
Reading | 2 | Corn Stalks and Pumpkins, The Church at Dedham, Mass. |
 Metropolitan Museum of Art |
New York | 1 | In the Connecticut Hills |
 Smithsonian American Art Museum |
Washington, D.C. | 1 | Birch-Clad Hills |
 Toledo Museum of Art |
Toledo | 1 | Early Moonlight |
 Phoenix Art Museum |
Phoenix | 1 | Along the Canyon Rim |
Barely a decade, 1908 to 1916, gave the world every dated Ben Foster original in this selection: here it is, year by year.
Pick a year to see its originals.
There is a particular stillness that settles over the New England landscape when the light begins to fade or the clouds thicken. In this oil on canvas, we find ourselves looking into a wooded hillside, a scene that feels less like a captured moment and more like a lingering mood. The composition is defined by the rhythmic, vertical presence of slender tree trunks that anchor the foreground, drawing the eye…
In the Connecticut Hills (1914), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Birch-Clad Hills (1908) and Early Moonlight (1912) come next.
62 years old: In the Connecticut Hills dates from 1914, and Ben Foster was born in 1852.
Our catalog holds 6 works by Ben Foster, dated from 1908 to 1916.
Mostly in Reading Public Museum (Reading), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, D.C.). The museum table above lists them all.
On this page, the earliest is Birch-Clad Hills (1908) and the latest Along the Canyon Rim (1916).
Corn Stalks and Pumpkins and The Church at Dedham, Mass.: the Reading Public Museum, Reading holds 2 of the works on this page.
The landscape of North Anson, Maine, provides the initial backdrop for a life defined by a slow, deliberate pursuit of light and shadow. Born in 1852, Benjamin Foster does not enter the art world with the suddenness of a prodigy. Instead, he navigates the practicalities of survival, working as a merchant to fund a late-blooming devotion to the canvas. By the 1870s, the focus shifts to New York City. Here, the atmosphere of the Art Students League begins to shape his vision under the guidance of Abbott Thayer. The influence of Thayer manifests in a specific sensitivity to floral still life, a precision that would later settle into the broader, more atmospheric compositions of his mature years.
The transition from the mercantile to the aesthetic is not a leap, but a steady migration. By the 1880s, the scene moves to Paris. The air of the French capital offers a different kind of rigor. Studying under Luc-Olivier Merson, Harry Thompson, and Aimé Morot, Foster absorbs the technical discipline required for the Paris Salon. He moves through the French countryside and the environs of Barbizon, absorbing the weight of the atmosphere before returning to the United States. This period marks the hardening of his intent, a movement away from mere representation toward a specific, tonalist sensibility.
Foster’s work finds its true home in the quiet corners of the American landscape. He avoids the frantic energy of plein air painting, preferring the controlled environment of his studio to refine the mood of a scene. His focus settles on the New England countryside, specifically the rolling hills and wooded areas of Connecticut. The colors are never loud; they are muted, restrained, and deeply specific to the changing seasons.
His technique relies on a limited palette to evoke a sense of stillness. In works like In the Connecticut Hills, the light does not strike the landscape so much as it settles upon it. This approach creates a sense of solitude, capturing the essence of the New England terrain without the distraction of high-contrast drama.
The significance of Foster’s contribution lies in his commitment to a specific, poetic vision of the American landscape. He was an artist who sought deeper meanings in the subtle shifts of light and color, remaining indifferent to the more popular or casual trends of his era. His presence in major collections confirms the lasting weight of his quiet observations. His works reside in the following institutions:
By the time of his death in 1926, Foster had established himself as a definitive voice in American Tonalism. He left behind a body of work that serves as a record of a specific, atmospheric way of seeing the world, where the landscape is not merely a subject, but a mood captured in oil and pigment.
