Boat on Sea

Item

Title
Boat on Sea
Description
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 Island’s 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 God’s presence. In this scene the radiant light illuminates the bay to suggest a divine blessing. (Narratives of African American Art and Identity: The David C. Driskell Collection, 1998)
Identifier
1983.95.89
Date
n.d
Medium
Oil paintings
Format
5 1/8 x 8 in. (12.9 x 20.4 cm.)
Rights
© 2018 Smithsonian
Site pages
Landscape

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Tags

Edward Mitchell Bannister landscapes artists portrait boats seascape black artists