 albert pinkham ryder (march 19, 1847 â march 28, 1917) was an american painter best known for his poetic and moody allegorical works and seascapes, as well as his eccentric personality. while his art shared an emphasis on subtle variations of color with tonalist works of the time, it was unique for accentuating form in a way that some art historians regard as modernist. == early life == ryder was born in new bedford, massachusetts. new bedford, a bustling whaling port during the 19th century, had an intimate connection with the sea that probably supplied artistic inspiration for ryder later in life. he was as the youngest of four sons; little else is known of his childhood. he began to paint landscapes while in new bedford. the ryder family moved to new york city in 1867 or 1868 to join ryder's elder brother, who had opened a successful restaurant. his brother also managed the hotel albert, which became a greenwich village landmark. ryder took his meals at the hotel for many years, but the hotel was named for the original owner, albert rosenbaum, not the painter. == training and early career == thumb|right|200px|the lone scout, ca. 1885 the early view of ryder was that he was a recluse, holding that he developed his style in isolation and without influence from contemporary american or european art, but this view has been contradicted by later scholarship that has revealed his many associations and exposures to other artists. ryder's first training in art was with the painter william edgar marshall in new york. from 1870 to 1873, and again from 1874 to 1875, ryder studied art at the national academy of design. he exhibited his first painting there in 1873 and met artist julian alden weir, who became his lifelong friend. in 1877, ryder made the first of four trips to 
1847_births 1917_deaths 19th-century_American_painters 20th-century_American_painters American_artists American_landscape_painters Artists_from_New_York_City Modern_painters National_Academy_of_Design_alumni Painters_from_Massachusetts People_from_Greenwich_Village,_New_York People_from_New_Bedford,_Massachusetts Tonalism