Boat on Sea
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of J. Wesley Johnson
Accession Number
1983.95.89
Tags
sailboatcoasteveningsunsetcloudboat
About this artwork
The sea was a favorite subject for Edward Mitchell Bannister, who had worked as a cook on a trading ship. In this peaceful view of Rhode Islandâs Narragansett Bay, a popular subject for nineteenth-century American artists, he focused attention on the brilliant coastal light. Bannister was a deeply religious man who shared with many Americans of his time a belief that nature was an expression of Godâs presence. In this scene the radiant light illuminates the bay to suggest a divine blessing. ...