William Keith: A Pioneer of California Tonalism Born in Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on November 18, 1838, William Keith’s artistic journey took him from the rugged landscapes of his homeland to the golden light of California. His early life was marked by a swift emigration with his family to New York City in 1850, where he apprenticed as a wood engraver – a skill that would later inform his meticulous observation and rendering of detail. This initial foray into visual representation provided a crucial foundation for his subsequent development as a painter, particularly one deeply at…