The American painter Albert Pinkham Ryder is one of the most celebrated American modernist artists. His seascapes, moody allegorical works, and poetry have won him fans all over the world. He was also known for his eccentricity.

In 1867, Ryder moved to New York City with his family, and in 1868, he opened a restaurant in Greenwich Village. His elder brother was the manager of the Hotel Albert, which was named after its original owner, Albert Rosenbaum. In New York, Ryder lived in a semi-rural apartment and studied art at night. He was considered a recluse and was not exposed to other artists. He studied under painter William Edgar Marshall in New York, and was able to refine his technique and improve his skills with his mentor.

In addition to his work, Albert Pinkham Ryder exhibited at a variety of art galleries and museums. His works were admired as pioneers of modernism and were influenced by Jackson Pollock and other modernist artists of his time. Despite his lack of financial means, he nevertheless became a recluse who cared for his friends. The portraits and landscapes he produced in the early 1900s were widely praised and collected by art lovers all over the world.