Born in Hillsdale, New York, this landscape artist studied with Henry Ary but mainly taught himself to paint. Early in his career, John Bunyan Bristol had traveled along the Eastern Seaboard, going as far south as Florida to paint tropical subjects. Bristol was known for his views of the lakes and mountains of New England and other northern areas of the United States during the nineteenth century. In 1892 he settled in New York City and spent his summers in the Berkshire Mountains, which became the subject of several of his paintings. Praised for their accuracy and detail, Bristol's landscapes were awarded medals at major exhibitions in Philadelphia and Paris.
[This is an excerpt from the interactive companion program to the videodisc American Art from the National Gallery of Art. Produced by the Department of Education Resources, this teaching resource is one of the Gallery's free-loan educational programs.]