Lemuel Cooper (1815–1884) was born in Pennsylvania. As an adult, he followed a typical migration pattern, first moving west to Ohio, where he married and raised a family, and then continuing northwest to Sauk County, Wisconsin, in 1851 or 1852. One of the most prosperous farmers in the area, Cooper owned almost three hundred acres of land as well as machinery and livestock. His farm crops were typical for the region and included hay, clover seed, corn, oats, wheat, potatoes, and a half-acre of hops. Less typical was his production of sorghum, a grain that yielded a syrup introduced during the Civil War as a sugar substitute. When he died, in 1884, Cooper was remembered as a most “worthy neighbor” and model farmer who had “endured the hardships of pioneer life for the sake of his family.”

In 1879, Cooper’s bountiful farm was painted by Paul Seifert, a German immigrant from Dresden who arrived in Wisconsin on a logging raft. Seifert sold flowers, vegetables, and fruits from his own gardens, and later set up a shop near Gotham where he practiced taxidermy and painted. Seifert’s granddaughter noted his love of order and the pleasure he took in depicting the regularity of Wisconsin farmscapes and agricultural activities. He painted the farms for his own interest, but he also accepted commissions, charging no more than $2.50 for his bright depictions of neighboring farm structures and surrounding properties, each neatly lettered with the farmsteader’s name. The paintings typically were executed in watercolor, oil, and tempera on colored paper, and they sometimes included metallic paints to highlight elements such as weathervanes. The strong horizontal thrust of the compositions emphasize the flatness of the landscapes and the isolated self-sufficiency of the individual farms.

Stacy C. Hollander, "The Residence of Lemuel Cooper," in American Anthem: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum (New York: Harry N. Abrams in association with American Folk Art Museum, 2001), 350.