The Snyders were moved to Vevay, IN and then to Madison, IN in "Will's"
fifth year. Mr. William Washington has a stained glass window memorial
in the south stair well that is still in place in Trinity United
Methodist Church on North Broadway Street in Madison. The Rev.
Snyder was instrumental in bringing three Methodist congregations
together to build this fine church, The church has a 204-feet steeple,
the tallest in the city in 1873.
At the age of 12, Will volunteered
to be a drummer boy on the Union side of the Civil War. His father
volunteered as a chaplain.
It is said that the drummer boy
was eventually captured and incarcerated in the South's infamous
Andersonville Prison. I have a copy of his Honorable Discharge signed
by President Abraham Lincoln, and Secretary of War Stanton, a prized
possession of Snyder's great-granddaughter, Mrs. Patricia Eglet of
Newport Beach, California.
Rev. Snyder is said to have given
Will six months of art instruction. His brother, according to a
newspaper adver-
tisement, received six months of music instruction, then advertised for
a job as a church choir director.
In the Hanover College faculty
dining room there is a large painting of the base of what is now known
as the
Hanging Rock Road, State Rd. # 7, dated 1865. The workmanship on this
painting is phenomenal for a 16-or-17
year-old artist.
In 1868-70, he took Art
instruction in Cincinnati, OH at the studio of J. Insco Williams at 4th
and Elm St., (a noted cycloramist) and lived and worked with his
brother R. W. Snyder, who was a photographer in Columbus, IN, It is
believed that he studied portraiture with Mr. Williams. Will was one of
the first to discover the beauty of Brown County, IN. There is a
painting discovered at Hope, IN (east of Columbus) that substantiates
this statement.
In 1872-75 he studied in the East
with the renowned artist Albert Bierstadt, from whom I believe he
learned his underpainting, what he put on his canvas first, and then
built his minute detail over this background). He also studied with
George Innes, from whom he learned layout and composition, what made a
good design, and rapidity of workmanship. They would go out in the
morning and come back in the evening with a finished picture. This was
in the New York and Philadelphia area, where he also learned
photographic detail from Alexander Wyant.
He later studied with William Morris Hunt, Boston, Massachusetts, a stickler for detail. Hunt's. thoughts about painting were inspired by his friendship with and admiration for the French painter Millet, one of the most realistic painters who ever lived. A passage from "The Artist" (August, 1977, page three):
"Spread the light on broadly as sunshine, but handle the passage from light into shadow as delicately as you would strew flowers on a child's grave in their season in the foreground or middle ground of so many of his beautiful landscapes".
In 1875, young Snyder was married to
Alena Belle Rodocker (1857-1934). This marriage was helped along by
Alena Belle's mother, at Mooreshill, IN. They had one daughter, Alena
Pearl, who was talented in both the visual and the performing arts,
painting in both watercolor and oil. One of her specialties was in the
painting of large
Indian heads in the full regalia of the tribe and person depicted on
leather, many of which were sold locally and through the Eastern
states, Several of her works are in private co1lections here in
Madison, She painted the Giele Brothers' Cigar Store Indian. She had
fine theatrical and vocal talent like her mother who sang in several of
the Madison churches. She married John Wade, son of Patrick Wade, a
pioneer family of Madison, an accomp1ished actor. The two appeared
frequently on the New York stage, finally settling in California. They
had one daughter, Evelyn, who was married to a Mr. Windnagle who
disappeared the day their daughter Patricia was born. Patricia is
married to Barney Eglet and lives in Newport Beach, California. I have
visited with her three times and found her to be a rather tall,
beautiful lady with a distinct theatrical air about her stance and
persona. She is a charming person.
During his early career, William
McKendree Snyder painted portraits. Two of his best were of his
parents, currently owned by Frank Snyder, Oxford, Ohio, son of R. W.
Snyder, Will's brother. Three portraits of Madison mayors hang in the
Council Chambers of the City Hall.
Early in his career during the
1870's, he turned to figure composition, literary in theme, that
included nude women, his forte for awhile, typical Salon pictures of
the Victorian Era. A large painting entitled; "The Nymphs of the Lilies"
was sold and hung in the Gibson House, a fine hotel in Cincinnati, OH.
This painting is approximately 9 feet by 20 feet. It is now in private
ownership on Main St. in Cincinnati. Also of this period is the 9 ft. X
20 ft. "Battle of Shiloh" of the Civil War, now said to be
extant in Seattle, Washington. "Pythias at the Block", l879 was
believed to be commissioned by the Indiana Grand Lodge of the Knights
of Pythias. Lithographs of this were made by Strobridge and Co.,
Cincinnati, OH. Fortunately for posterity, this was done and
distributed around the state, as the original was destroyed by fire in
Indianapolis prior to 19l2. The detail on the coats of mail on the
soldiers, the crowds of people, and the buildings of the period
demonstrate his great talent and is a tremendous work.
During his Literary Period he drew
several Shakespearean Ophelias and Juliets. One of the Ophelias is
currently in Vevay. The Juliet is here in Madison. Both are in private
collections.
During the "Panic of the 1870's",
he was forced to bring his family to live with his father at 127 East
St., Madison, IN. This was his home for the rest of his life. He began
his painting trips to the nearby countryside, drawing from nature as he
saw it in the Ohio River Valley and the beautiful woodlands of
Jefferson County.
He did some very fine still lifes
with fruits, vegetables, game, and slabs of meat, one of which is
signed by a letter addressed to himself with the date and postmark
lying on the table by the other objects in the picture.
He did several portraits of fine
hunting dogs working in the fields, which were commissioned by their
proud owners. Several are extant in the area and bring fine prices when
sold at auctions now.
Finally, in his later years,
outdoor compositions became his major interest. Especially Autumn
Beech-woods, crowded with an almost photographic detail and rich with
fall coloring, established his reputation in Cincinnati, OH and other
eastern metropolitan areas, as well as our own Southern Indiana. These
became his most sought-after work, which still holds today among modern
collectors.
He did some 3 ft. X 6 ft, canvases
of local identifiable scenes from the bluffs overlooking the Ohio
River. These are beautifully done and are highly prized locally, as are
many that he did from the Hanover College Campus Overlook, the Hanging
Rock Hill Road and the famous railroad cuts. His perspective on the
railroad cross ties in particular is phenomenal. He does take a little
artistic license on the railroad. In reality, it is a very straight
track, but his perspective is of apparently sitting on the right side
of the rails which allows the track to run by his left side and bend
slightly as it goes through the cuts and on to infinity.
| Intro page | Snyder 1 | Snyder 2 | Snyder 3 | Snyder 4 | Snyder 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Snyder 6 | Snyder 7 |
 Don Wood |
Created June 30, 1998 and modified on February 7, 2006 using Homesite 5.5 HTML editor  Link to Homesite web site |
page designed by Don Wood
