John C. Van Dyke

Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1856, John C. Van Dyke was an American art historian, critic, and nature writer. He studied at Columbia, spent years in Europe, and was admitted to the New York bar in 1877, though he did not go on to practice law.

Van Dyke became an influential voice in American art writing. He taught at Rutgers and is remembered as its first professor of art history, while also serving in museum and library roles. His art books, including works on painting and major European masters, were written for general readers as well as students.

He is also still read for his nature writing, especially The Desert, which helped shape how many readers imagined the American Southwest. He died in New York in 1932, leaving behind a body of work that joined visual art, travel, and close observation in an accessible way.