Elihu Vedder (February 26, 1836 – January 29, 1923)

Head of Minerva

1896

Vedder was a talented and interesting Symbolist painter with strong Pre-Raphaelite influences, yet he was also, I think, a bit generic. Still, there is a sort of excellence in his genercism, as he often seems to approach novelty, in theme or style, though never quite reaching it. I would write more about Vedder, but, frankly, his life, as far as I know it, was not filled with many noteworthy moments, outside of mentioning that he was also a poet (honestly, not a very good one). But, while Vedder may have had an uneventful life and produced somewhat generic art, there is a quality that transcends the plain in his works, and makes him an artist of worth–and perhaps it is that which I find so interesting about him. 

The Questioner of the Sphinx

1863

Japanese Still-Life

1879 

Fisherman and Mermaid

1888-1889

Roman Model Posing

1881 

The Last Man

1891

The Cup of Death

1885