Date of Award

5-7-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Art History and Visual Culture

Department

Art

First Advisor

Trenton Olsen

Second Advisor

Stefanie Snider

Third Advisor

Jonathan Walz

Abstract

This thesis examines the nineteenth-century Tonalist artist William Keith, focusing on how he successfully integrated commerce, art, and spirituality to achieve financial success, artistic innovation, and spiritual depth. While scholars often emphasize the symbolism and religiosity in his work, they tend to overlook his financial accomplishments. This study explores Keith's background, religious influences, and artistic development within the cultural, economic, and social context of nineteenth-century America. As a Tonalist, Keith produced popular works for the art market; as a Swedenborgian, his art reflected the spiritual principles of that faith. Unlike his East Coast counterparts, Keith’s California-based landscapes captured the dramatic beauty of the western landscape. His relationship with fellow Tonalist George Inness—often viewed as a mentor—is reexamined here as more collaborative. While Inness embodied Swedenborgian ideas of Correspondence, Keith emphasized the divinity of nature in a broader, more expansive context. This thesis argues that Keith skillfully balanced financial success with artistic innovation. A comparative analysis of Keith’s The Glory of the Heavens (1891) and Inness’s Tenafly, Autumn (1891) highlights their shared religious symbolism, artistic distinctions, and significance within the commercial art market.

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