Fralin Catalog (6-21-23) - Flipbook - Page 93
The coast
Beaches & Harbors
N
o theme appears more rooted in the effects of light
than scenic views along a waterfront. Light reflects
off the surface of water in ways that complicate sight
and fascinate vision. The eye is, of course, a physical
organ sensitive to the reception and interpretation of light. That
sensitivity is what defined the painterly movements of Luminism and
Impressionism – and the study of light is never more evident than
in powerful images of the shoreline. For every moment of every day,
light along a water’s edge is at once palpably unique and inescapably
transitory, beckoning both the spiritual enrichment of Luminism as
well as the observational precision of Impressionism.
With the modern era, a leisure life that included weekends and
holidays developed alongside the advent of an eight-hour workday.
This new lifestyle is captured in the bright and lively action of Beach
Scene, and The Balloon Vendor, both by Edward Henry Potthast.
Similarly, promenading along the boardwalks or boating off the
docks, seen in works by Clarence Chatterton and Leon Kroll, reveal
the playful social interactions that developed at seaside resorts and
coastal destinations.
Newell Convers (known as N.C.) Wyeth, illustrator of such classics
as Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe, produced one of his most
subtly captivating compositions in Port Clyde, Maine, recording a
familiar waterfront refuge on a brilliantly sunny day. The founder
of a dynasty of American painters, the artist’s influence upon the
work of his son Andrew and grandson Jamie can be traced to quiet
and contemplative landscapes, which often contain water features,
such as the works from all three Wyeths showcased in this exhibition.
Another highlight among family retreats is Fairfield Porter’s The
Kitchen Steps, a panoramic view from 1962 of his family’s summer
home on Great Spruce Head Island, which captures the intimacy of
domestic life against the vastness of the Gulf of Maine.
Opposite: detail of William James Glackens, Summer, 1914, illustrated page 106-107
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