William Henry Buck (1840-1888) was New Orleans' first major landscapist. He was the pupil and successor of Richard Clague. He specialized in formula paintings of dramatic oak trees, adopting his teacher's serene compositional format. Buck emigrated from Norway to Boston and spent some time in New England before settling in New Orleans around 1860. While studying under Richard Clague, he was employed in the cotton business. In the 1880s, he devoted himself full-time to painting. His work was included at the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition held in New Orleans in 1884-1885.