America’s last remaining continental Eden was Florida, a pristine, verdant, tropical paradise. Surpassing all potential rivals, artist A.E. Backus (1906-1990) developed a masterful aesthetic for portraying this unspoiled territory. During his lifetime, Backus was proclaimed “Florida’s painter laureate,“ the “Dean of Florida’s landscape painters” and even the “Corot of Florida.” Despite living in the Jim Crow South, he formed enduring friendships with Black musicians, artists and authors…