Francis Devlan, 1835 – 1870
The 15 Most Famous Francis Devlan Paintings, Ranked
The best-loved painting by Francis Devlan is End of the Day (1857), which hangs in the Reading Public Museum, Reading. Study in Rocks (1861) and Gibraltar Furnace - Seyfert's Mill (1868) come next among the canvases readers know best. Our catalogue holds 15 works by Francis Devlan: here are the 15 most famous, each with its year, its museum and what makes it memorable.
Ranked by our popularity score, which combines the searches, visits and orders for each work. Updated November 2026. Each painting on this page can be ordered as an oil reproduction painted by hand on linen canvas, or as a fine art print, made to the size you choose.
- Born · died
- 1835 – 1870, Paterson
- Works in our catalogue
- 15
- Most famous
- End of the Day (1857)
- Most works at
- Reading Public Museum
Top 10 Francis Devlan paintings: the canvases everyone knows
More Francis Devlan canvases, 11 to 15
Where Francis Devlan's canvases hang
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Francis Devlan | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Reading Public Museum |
Reading | 15 | End of the Day, Study in Rocks, Gibraltar Furnace - Seyfert's Mill |
Francis Devlan's best-loved canvases, year by year
12 years at the easel, from 1857 to 1868: Francis Devlan's best-loved canvases, year by year.
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1857
Canvas 1 of 15End of the Day
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1861
2 of 15Study in Rocks
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1864
6 of 15Landscape Study - Autumnal
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1864
Ranked 7 of 15
Landscape Study
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1864
8 of 15Landscape
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1868
Canvas 3 of 15Gibraltar Furnace - Seyfert's Mill
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1868
Canvas 4 of 15Seyfert's Forge, Gibraltar
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1868
Canvas 5 of 15Summer
About Francis Devlan's canvases: your questions answered
What is the best-known painting by Francis Devlan?Read the answer
End of the Day (1857), Reading Public Museum, Reading. Study in Rocks (1861) and Gibraltar Furnace - Seyfert's Mill (1868) follow.
What age was Francis Devlan when End of the Day was painted?Read the answer
Francis Devlan, born in 1835, was 22 years old: End of the Day dates from 1857.
What are the 10 most famous paintings by Francis Devlan?Read the answer
End of the Day, Study in Rocks, Gibraltar Furnace - Seyfert's Mill, Seyfert's Forge, Gibraltar, Summer, Landscape Study - Autumnal, Landscape Study, Landscape, Cattle (White Bull) and Cows in Pasture. Each canvas in the ranking above comes with its year and its museum.
How many works did Francis Devlan paint in all?Read the answer
15 works by Francis Devlan are in our catalogue, dated 1857 to 1868.
Where can I see Francis Devlan's most famous canvases?Read the answer
Mostly in Reading Public Museum (Reading); the list above names each museum and its canvases.
When did Francis Devlan paint the best-loved canvases?Read the answer
In 1864, which gave 3 of the 15 works on this page, Landscape Study - Autumnal among them.
Which are Francis Devlan's earliest and latest famous canvases?Read the answer
The earliest canvas here is End of the Day (1857); the latest is Gibraltar Furnace - Seyfert's Mill (1868).
Which Francis Devlan canvases hang at the Reading Public Museum?Read the answer
The Reading Public Museum, Reading holds 15 of the works on this page, among them End of the Day, Study in Rocks and Gibraltar Furnace - Seyfert's Mill.
Can I buy a reproduction of a Francis Devlan canvas?Read the answer
Yes. Every painting on this page can be ordered from its own page as an oil reproduction painted by hand, or as a fine art print, in the size you choose.
Francis Devlan: a life in paint
A Life in Landscape
Francis Devlan was an American painter who lived a relatively brief life, passing away in 1870. His work focused heavily on the natural world, capturing the quiet details of the land and the animals that inhabited it. Though his time was short, his presence in the mid-19th century art scene is felt through the surviving pieces that remain in public collections.
His hands were often busy with oil on canvas, a medium that allowed him to build texture and depth in his depictions of the earth. He had a particular interest in the ruggedness of the terrain, as seen in his 1855 work, a rocky landscape. This piece shows an early interest in the structural elements of nature, focusing on the physical presence of stone and earth.
The Quiet Subjects
Devlan’s brushwork often turned toward the living creatures that moved through these landscapes. He had a way of grounding his scenes with a sense of stillness. One of his notable subjects was a white bull, a piece titled Cattle (White Bull), which is held in the collection of the Reading Public Museum. This work, alongside his other landscape paintings, remains a part of the legacy associated with his style of painting.
His compositions often included:
- The heavy, solid forms of livestock.
- The textured surfaces of rocky terrain.
- The expansive, open qualities of the American landscape.
His paintings are held in places like the Reading Public Museum, where they offer a glimpse into the visual language of the 1860s. These works provide a window into how the American landscape was perceived during his lifetime, focusing on the tangible reality of the environment rather than the abstract.