Theodore Clement Steele, member of the Hoosier Group of American Impressionist painters, was at the forefront of Indiana's art movement. Steele remains one of the state's most honored artists.

In 1907, Steele bought an abandoned farm in Brown County, becoming the first major artist to buy a home in the area. The home he built to share with his wife Selma, the House of the Singing Winds, with the surrounding forest and sweeping vistas, would inspire his best-known paintings.

The Large Studio was built in 1916 and is still home to many of Steele's works today. The hillsides and surrounded 211 acres were landscaped to enhance the beauty of the property. The site is also a member of the Historic Artists' Homes & Studios program.