Brace's Rock, Eastern Point, Gloucester

c. 1864

Fitz Henry Lane

Associated Names
Fitz Henry Lane
Artist, American, 1804 - 1865
The artwork presents a coastal scene viewed from a slightly elevated perspective. Closest to us, there are rocks and flowering plants with red and yellow hues. Just beyond, a body of water reflects the sky and surrounding landscape. On the left, a small boat with two mast stumps rests on the water, casting a reflection. The horizon sits low in the composition, dividing the water from the pale, clouded sky. In the distance, Brace's Rock is in warm light, its reddish tones contrasting with the pastels of the sky. To the right, a green grassy area extends towards the horizon. The brushwork is smooth and delicate, while the color palette is composed of soft blues, warm earth tones, and gentle pastels.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    oil on canvas

  • Credit Line

    John Wilmerding Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 25.4 x 38.1 cm (10 x 15 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2025.89.14

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Michael Lemon, Boston.[1] (Harvey F. Additon [1871-1955], Boston, 1944); (Robert B. Campbell [1909-1974], Boston, 1944); (Childs Gallery, Boston, 1944); (Victor Spark [1898-1991], New York, 1944); acquired 1944 by Maxim [1893-1963] and Martha Codman [1858-1948] Karolik, Newport; gift 1948 to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; deaccessioned 1966;[2] purchased 1966 by John Wilmerding, New York [1938-2024]; bequest 2025 to NGA.

[1] Lemon was possibly a dealer.

[2] The work was deaccessioned to help fund purchase of Lane's Boston Harbor

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1957

  • American Paintings 1815-1865, exhibition circulated to twelve venues by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1957-1959, no. 113.

1976

  • The Natural Paradise: Painting in America 1800-1950, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1976, unnumbered catalogue, frontispiece.

2004

  • American Masters from Bingham to Eakins. The John Wilmerding Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 2004-2005, no. 22, repro.

Bibliography

1949

  • Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. M. and M. Karolik Collection of American Paintings, 1815-1865. Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1949: no. 184, 412-413, repro.

1952

  • McCormick, Gene E.. "Fitz Hugh Lane, Gloucester Artist, 1804-1865." The Art Quarterly 15, no. 4 (Winter, 1952): 301, fig. 8.

  • Fletcher Little, Nina. "A Collector Views a Public Collection." Art in America 40 (1952), repro.

1964

  • Wilmerding, John. Fitz Hugh Lane, 1804-1865, American Marine Painter. Salem, Massachusettes, 1964: no. 113, 64.

1969

  • Novak, Barbara. American Painting of the Nineteenth Century: Realism, Idealism, and the American Experience. New York, 1969: 115-117, repro. (2nd ed. New York, 1979: 115-117, fig. 6-6. 3rd ed. Oxford, 2007: 94, 95, fig. 6.3)

  • American Paintings in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 2 vols. Boston, 1969: 1:no. 717, 186.

1971

  • Wilmerding, John. Fitz Hugh Lane. New York, 1971: 87-88.

  • Novak, Barbara. "Grand Opera and the Small Still Voice." Art in America 59 (March-April 1971): 69, repro.

1980

  • Novak, Barbara. Nature and Culture: American Landscape and Painting 1825-1875. New York, 1980: 30-31, fig. 20.

  • Wilmerding, John. American Light: The Luminist Movement, 1850-1875, Paintings, Drawings, Photographs. Exh. cat. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1980: 111-113, fig. 117 (not in the exhibition).

1983

  • Gustafson, Eleanor H. "Museum Accessions." _The Magazine Antiques_124 (November 1983): 974, repro

1984

  • Sokol, David M.. "The Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois." _The Magazine Antiques_126 (November 1984): 1159, repro.

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