William H. Clapp

William Henry Clapp (October 29, 1879 - April 21, 1954) was a Canadian-American painter and art curator. He was a member of the Society of Six in Oakland, California, and an Impressionist landscape painter. He was also the curator of the Oakland Art Gallery.

Life Clapp was born on October 29, 1879, in Montreal, Canada. He was born a U.S. citizen as both his parents were American. In Paris, he spent four years, and attended the Académie Julian, the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and the Académie Colarossi, and was introduced to Fauvism. In 1906, he exhibited his work at the Salon d'Automne.

In France, his style was transformed into a personal form of Impressionism, verging on Pointillism, depicting the way in which he experienced and saw the world. He became mostly known for his brilliant, high-keyed, colourful landscapes inspired by Monet and for his interest in painting the figure, mostly academic-influenced and idealized nudes. In 1907, he travelled to Belgium and Spain, where he studied in Madrid with William Laparra and regularly visited the Prado Museum. Returning to Montreal in 1908, Clapp brought with him his innovative interpretation of Impressionism, applying it to Canadian subject matter, which received mixed and uncomprehending reactions from critics and the public From 1918 to 1952, he curated the Oakland Art Gallery, where he sold their paintings.