Bidspirit auction | Laura Woodward Tropical Landscape Painting

Laura Woodward Tropical Landscape Painting - Laura Woodward (American, 1834-1926). Oil on board landscape painting depicting a curated lake or seaside garden. Signed along the lower left. Lot Essay: Laura Woodward was a pioneering American landscape painter associated with the Hudson River and White Mountain Schools. She gained recognition for her delicate oil and watercolor works depicting the unspoiled American Northeast and, later, the exotic landscapes of Florida. Early in her career, she exhibited widely - including at the National Academy of Design, the Boston Art Club, and the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 - and formed connections with major artists such as James D. Smillie and Julie Hart Beers. To avoid gender discrimination, she often signed her work “L. Woodward.” In the 1880s, Woodward began wintering in Florida, eventually discovering and painting the tropical wilderness of Palm Beach and Jupiter. Her vivid depictions of Royal Poinciana trees and Florida’s flora drew public and critical acclaim. Most notably, her artwork and advocacy directly influenced Henry Flagler’s decision to develop Palm Beach as a resort destination. Flagler supported her work by purchasing her paintings, exhibiting them, and building her a studio at the Hotel Royal Poinciana, which opened in 1894. Woodward’s paintings helped popularize Florida’s east coast, earning her state-wide admiration. She also painted the Everglades and Miami region, capturing local scenes such as Seminole canoes. Though she lost her eyesight by 1920, she remained an honorary member and pioneer of the Palm Beach Art League. After her death in 1926, her legacy endured through a memorial exhibition in 1940 and her role in inspiring the founding of the Norton Gallery and School of Art (now the Norton Museum of Art). In 2013, she was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. Unframed; height: 17 1/2 in x width: 24 in. Framed; height: 22 3/4 in x width: 29 1/2 in x depth: 1 1/2 in. Condition: Please email us at condition@revereauctions.com for a condition report or additional photos.