Wisconsin in Watercolor

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The Life and Legend of Folk Artist Paul Seifert

Joe Kapler

A glorious celebration of an important yet under-recognized artist whose paintings vividly capture the landscapes and farmlands of Wisconsin in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

136 pages, 9 x 9, 65 color and b&w photos
Hardcover: $29.95 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-891-1
Ebook: $19.99 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-892-8
Publication Date: 10/10/2018

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Description

In 1867, German immigrant Paul Seifert settled in the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin and began capturing the distinctive farms and landscapes of his new home in vivid, detailed watercolors. Today, these paintings are coveted by American folk art collectors across the country, but Seifert’s life remains shrouded in mystery. In this first book written about Seifert, author Joe Kapler examines the life of this enigmatic artist and provides context for his extraordinary art.

Featuring high-quality reproductions of twenty-two Seifert watercolors—more than half of which have never been published in a book—Wisconsin in Watercolor also shares many close-ups of his characteristic details, from horses and hay wagons to dogs and dinner bells. Part art history treatment, part coffee table book, and part love letter to the Driftless Area, Wisconsin in Watercolor shines a long-awaited light on Seifert and the land he so carefully rendered over a hundred years ago.

Author Bio

Joe Kapler

Joe Kapler is lead curator at the Wisconsin Historical Society. He has curated numerous major exhibitions, including the Society’s 2014 exhibit on Seifert’s art, Wisconsin in Watercolor: The Farmscapes of Paul Seifert. He holds a master’s degree in American history from Marquette University and a master’s degree in museum studies from Eastern Illinois University. Kapler spent many years traveling the winding roads of Iowa, Sauk, and Richland Counties to visit dozens of farms, conduct hundreds of hours of research, and meet the many individuals whose lives have intersected with Paul Seifert through his art. Kapler lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

‘Wisconsin in Watercolor’ is at once an entrancing ‘picture book,’ a realization of the public historian’s craft, and a valuable contribution to our understanding of immigrant rural artists. Joe Kapler’s informed engaging prose combines with vivid reproductions of Paul Seifert’s precise accessible artistry to offer a beguiling and enduring portrayal of Southwest Wisconsin’s bygone folklife and landscape.

James P. Leary

Co-founder of the Center for the Study of Upper Midwestern Cultures, University of Wisconsin–Madison

“Paul Seifert’s paintings of farms portray the promise of America fulfilled. Deceptively simple, their meticulous detail reveals, barn by barn and animal by animal, a sophisticated idealism that captures the pride and accomplishments of his fellow immigrant farmers. In Wisconsin in Watercolor, Joe Kapler lovingly explains the genuine bond between Seifert and his subjects, opening our eyes anew to how the artist creatively saw his world—a world that still resonates in the popular imagination today.”

—Graeme Reid, Director of Collections and Exhibitions, Museum of Wisconsin Art