Woodland Scene at Dusk

This painting hangs in Frederick Douglass' parlor. Maine-born Messer moved to Minnesota with his family. He served briefly with the Minnesota First Infantry during the Civil War before being discharged for health reasons. Messer came to Washington, DC in 1863 and entered the studio of Peter Baumgras. The artist subsequently studied at the Cooper Institute and Cummings Academy in New York, the Philadelphia Academy of Art, the National Academy of Design, and the Academy of Design in Chicago. In Paris, Messer also studied with Raphael Collin and Gustave Courtois.

Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
Washington, DC