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FARMINGTON — The work of Rufus Porter, well known for his painted landscape murals in local homes during the early 1800s, will be featured in a presentation by Jane Radcliff during the Farmington Historical Society’s July 12 meeting.

The society meets in the basement of Henderson Memorial Baptist Church at Main and Academy streets. The evening begins with a potluck supper at 6 p.m., a short business meeting and presentation at 7 p.m.

Some homes that have Porter murals are in Chesterville, Farmington Falls, Farmington and South Strong.

Porter, born and raised in Bridgton, helped to create an American culture. In his early years, he painted small watercolor portraits from Maine to Virginia, then, during the 1820-1840s, he moved onto landscape painting on the walls of private homes throughout New England. His use of local landscapes with vivid palette and broad, open brushstrokes was a departure from the styles and content of classical European wallpaper. Because most of Porter’s murals were unsigned, it was not until the mid-1930s that his body of work was authenticated. Today, he is recognized as an icon of American art, inventor and founder of the Scientific American magazine.

Jane Radcliff served for many years in a variety of capacities at the Maine State Museum in Augusta, including as curator of Domestic and Fine Arts. She is currently a partner in Museum Research Associates, a 2-person company based in Hallowell that provides collections management services to individuals, museums and historical organizations throughout the United States and abroad. Radcliff also currently serves as adjunct curator at the Maine State Museum and as an adviser to the Rufus Porter Museum in Bridgton.

As the culmination of more than 35 years of research, Jane and coauthor Linda Carter Lefko of Penn Yan, N.Y., have just submitted the manuscript of their book, tentatively titled “A very Striking Effect: New England Landscape Murals from the School of Rufus Porter,” to be published in the spring of 2011.

For more information, contact Taffy Davis 778-4275. The public is welcome to attend.

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