Some 250 works of art were done at Weir Farm. The farm would draw many prominent turn-of-the-century artists such as Childe Hassam, John Twachtman, Theodore Robinson, Albert Pinkham Ryder, and John Singer Sargent. These artists would come to paint, fish, and enjoy each other's company. Julian Alden Weir was perhaps best known today as a founder and leader of the American Impressionist movement. Weir Farm National Historic Site takes you back to 1882 when Julian Alden Weir first set eyes on and purchased 153 acres on Branchville farm. Born into an artistic family, Weir had studied at the National Academy of Design in New York City and at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Weir had turned to Impressionism around 1890, when many American artists were experimenting with painting directly from natures outdoors. Knowing French Impressionism had been around since the mid-1870s, Weir developed his own style coinciding with his love for the farm. The meadows, stone walls, and wooded wetlands in Branchville had inspired Weir in drawing some of his greatest work. Weir's deep-rooted connection to this particular New England landscape- both on an artistic and personal level- never faded. The Spring landscape on Weir Farm was the earliest known painting done by Weir on his newly acquired farm. From 1887 to 1893, Weir devoted himself almost exclusively to making small etchings and drypoints, which provided a release from the rigors of painting. In Weir's later career he began painting a number of landscapes like "After the Rachel." Weir continued to paint and draw until his death in 1919. Walking through Weir Farm will hopefully provide you with a greater understanding of the relationship of American Impressionism and the quintessential American landscapes.

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