Sunset Over Water - William B. Post (1890s)

William B. Post

Platinum print

National Gallery of Art

This evocative platinum print captures the ethereal beauty of twilight reflected on still water, rendered with the soft-focus and delicate tonal qualities that made William B. Post a pioneer of American pictorialist photography. A former New York Stock Exchange broker who abandoned Wall Street to pursue his artistic vision in rural Maine, Post was celebrated by Alfred Stieglitz and became an influential member of the Photo-Secession movement. His compositions, inspired by a transformative 1891 trip to Japan, blend Impressionist atmosphere with the elegant simplicity of Asian scroll paintings—making this serene seascape a perfect meditation piece for any home.