Beach of Bass Rocks, Gloucester, Massachusetts

Object Details

Artist

F. K. M. Rehn, born Philadelphia, PA 1848-died Magnolia, MA 1914

Luce Center Label

Frank Knox Morton Rehn was known primarily as a marine painter whose images captured scenes along the Massachusetts coast. This painting depicts a stretch of beach in Gloucester, a popular East Coast tourist destination throughout the nineteenth century. The scene is dominated by sky and sea, yet Rehn avoided using shades of blue and instead chose warmer tones of brown and red. This limited use of color emphasizes the dark shadows under the approaching waves, making them appear much bigger than they really are. This, combined with the deserted beach, evokes the latent power of the sea in a view that initially appears calm.

Credit Line

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Martha L. Loomis

1881

Object number

1949.8.2

Restrictions & Rights

CC0

Type

Painting

Medium

oil on canvas

Dimensions

22 1/4 x 36 1/8 in. (56.4 x 91.9 cm)

See more items in

Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection

Department

Painting and Sculpture

On View

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor, 10A

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Luce Foundation Center, 3rd Floor

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Topic

Landscape\beach

Landscape\coast

Architecture\boat\sailboat

Landscape\Massachusetts\Gloucester

Record ID

saam_1949.8.2

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7019c247f-3ddf-4081-a441-4f1cad116d1c