Chauncey Ryder spent his early years in New Haven, Connecticut, where his family had moved soon after his birth. He later moved to Chicago, where he married Mary Dole Keith in 1891. The enrolled in evening classes at the Art Institute fo Chicago, while working at illustration to support himself. In the mid 90's Ryder spent two years at Smith's Art Academy, first as a student and then as an insturctor.
In 1901, the artist sold his home and its contents to finance a trip to Paris. He entered the Academie Julian, studying with Raphael Collin and Jean-Paul Laurens. He also worked in the atelier of Max Bohm. In order to supplement his income, Ryder gave art lessons. From 1903 to 1907 he exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon. Before his return to the United States in 1908, the artist toured Holland, France and Italy.
After becoming associated with the Macbeth Galleries in New York in 1907, Ryder gained recognition for his small sketch-like landscapes, and was able to support studios in New York and Paris for several year. He was briefly associated with the art colony at Old Lyme, where he visited during the summers of 1910 and 1911. He also worked in Ipswich, Massachusetts, Monhegan, Maine and Wilton, New Hampshire during those summers, subsequently purchasing a permanent summer home in Wilton. He served on the National Academy's Council from 1928 to 1931. ÿ Although best known for his New England landscapes, Ryder was also a talented printmaker and
