“Baker worked with his family in the whaling ports of Connecticut before deciding to become an artist. He established a studio in New York City in 1868 and traveled throughout New England, painting its choppy seacoasts, quiet rivers, and sunlit harbors. His best paintings feature luminous effects culled from the work of marine painters like Fitz Hugh Lane and William Bradford.” (2)
“His occupation change was likely prompted by the heavy destruction inflicted upon the northern whaling fleets during the American Civil War. The dozens of known works by Baker indicate the shift was profitable and, artistically speaking, highly merited. His early works are often attributed to him, while he later signed 'E. Taylor Baker', 'E.T. Baker' and developed a distinct intertwined initial monogram by the late 1880s.” (3)
“He traveled throughout New England, and is thought to have traveled to the British Isles in the 1880s. Baker died in 1890 in Orange, Connecticut.” (1)
“Baker’s paintings can now be seen in the Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art, the Mystic Seaport Museum, and the Mariners Museum in Virginia, among other institutions.” (2)
Reference
1. Antiques & Fine Art Staff. Elisha Taylor Baker [internet]. Antiques & Fine Art [cited 2020 Jan 30]. Available from: http://www.antiquesandfineart.com/artists/bio.cfm?id=221
2. 1stdibs Staff. Painting of the Three Masted Schooner J.S. Ingraham Elisha Taylor Baker [internet]. New York, NY: 1stdibs [cited 2020 Jan 30]. Available from: https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/wall-decorations/paintings/painting-three-masted-schooner-js-ingraham-elisha-taylor-baker/id-f_6692173/
3. Askart Staff. Elisha Taylor (ET) Baker (1827-1890) [internet]. [cited 2020 Jan 30]. Available from: https://www.askart.com/artist_bio/Elisha_Taylor_ET_Baker/28157/Elisha_Taylor_ET_Baker.aspx
