Rivers, Sea and Shore

Reflections on Water

Exhibition Available 2007 - 2008

Rivers, Sea and Shore is an exhibition of 50 beautiful and dramatic paintings exploring more than a century of American life on the water, from 1830 to 1945.  Organized from the collection of Arthur J. Phelan and sure to appeal to viewers as much as the water itself does, the exhibition is grouped from three principal themes:

Ships and Seascapes, Rivers and Boats

Beginning in the early nineteenth century, American captains commissioned paintings of their ships.  The earliest such painting in the exhibition was done in 1828 by John S. Blunt and likely inspired by the return of the U.S.S. Constitution from an extended tour in the Mediterranean.  The power and motion of waves, seen in William Trost Richards’ Reflections in the Surf (c. 1895) was a challenge to realistic painters, and one seen often in this exhibition.

 

Seaside Towns

After impressionism crossed the Atlantic, artist colonies were established on the Northeast Coast.  Many notable artists working near Old Lyme, Connecticut, are represented in this exhibition including those by Robert Vonnoh, Guy Wiggins and Edmund Graecen.  Many Connecticut artists painted seaside towns that had long been associated with whaling or commerce, reflecting nostalgia for a pre-industrial time.  They include Noank Harbor by Eliot Clark, views of Mystic by Walter Clark and George Thompson, and a view of Greenwich by Elmer McCrae.

 

Life by the Water

As impressionism spread people were increasingly shown enjoying the beach, such as in paintings by Graecen and Percy E. Moran, and engaging in sport, suggested in Frank Benson’s Afternoon Ducks.  By the 1930s, artistic subjects began to turn to industrialization.  Concerns about joblessness created greater respect for industrial waterfronts, ferry boats, iron ships, bridges, and cars – all seen in this exhibition.

Click each image for a larger view.