William Merritt Post was born on December 11, 1856, in Brooklyn, New York. He decided to become an artist when he fell in love with nature through the various marshy regions around New York and New England. First, Post studied with Samuel Frost Johnson, and by 1880, was painting in a distinctly Hudson River School style. In 1882, he began his studies at the Art Students League with J. Carroll Beckwith. By 1884, he had successfully launched his career as a landscapist. Hugh Bolton Jones influenced him during this period as they were both attracted to tightly focused landscape scenes featuring streams, meadows, and trees. Post exhibited regularly at the National Academy of Design, Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the Corcoran Gallery. After marrying, Post summered in Bethlehem, Connecticut, and later purchased a farm in West Morris. He remained committed to painting country streams, reflections on water, and the rich greens of his surroundings.