Jerome B. Thompson: Pioneer of Luminism and Rural American Landscape Jerome B. Thompson (1814 – 1886) emerged from the Massachusetts countryside as a painter deeply attuned to the spirit of his time—a period marked by Romantic idealism and burgeoning industrialization, yet simultaneously yearning for connection with nature’s sublime beauty. Born in Middleboro, he defied expectations set by his father, Cephas Thompson, a celebrated portraitist who deliberately steered Jerome away from artistic pursuits, prioritizing a life of farming. This formative decision ironically shaped Thompson's artis…