Florida Highwaymen

The Highwaymen were a group of African-American landscape painters who were influenced by renown Florida landscape artist A.E. Backus during the 1950s-60s (although only Alfred Hair was a formal student of Backus). His influence extended to the twenty-six artists who have been given the name "The Highwaymen." Some in the formal art world have...more

The Highwaymen were a group of African-American landscape painters who were influenced by renown Florida landscape artist A.E. Backus during the 1950s-60s (although only Alfred Hair was a formal student of Backus). His influence extended to the twenty-six artists who have been given the name "The Highwaymen." Some in the formal art world have given this group and its followers the name "Indian River School," but they are most well-known as The Highwaymen. Not known as "highwaymen" in their heyday, the name was bestowed by Florida art collector and museum curator Jim Fitch in a 1995 article.1

The Highwaymen were mostly self-taught painters. Excluded from the traditional world of art shows and galleries, the Highwaymen painted on inexpensive Upson board and framed their paintings with crown molding (brushed with gold or silver paint to "antique" them). They packed these paintings into the trunks of their cars and sold them door-to-door throughout the southeastern coast of Florida. Sometimes the paintings were stacked before the oil was dry. One can make out the imprint of the base of the next frame on a few of the paintings.

Paintings by the Florida Highwaymen are prized by collectors today, but their story is about much more than art. The name refers to African American artists, mostly from the Fort Pierce area, who painted landscapes and made a living selling them, door to door, to businesses and individuals throughout the state from the mid-1950s through the 1980s. They also were peddled from the trunks of their cars along the eastern coastal roads.(A1A and I-95) Today their 100,000 plus paintings have gathered significant interest and have become quite collectible. At auctions these particular painters works have been recognized with high prices. Authentic original paintings by the more talented artists in the gorup will easily bring in several thousand dollars.