Fitz Henry Lane

Shortly after Lane severed his connections to his Boston lithography firm, Lane and Scott, in 1847, he returned to his native Gloucester and once again began to paint. One of the first works he executed upon his return is this charming picture of the neighboring harbor of Cape Ann at sunset. The minute attention to detail, the precisely rendered edges, and the sharp areas of contrast attest to Lane's recent preoccupation with printmaking. Lane's work has been called "luminist" by art historians because of the quality and clarity of light which pervades the entire picture. Also typical of luminist style is the sense of calm and stability created by the horizontal format and low horizon line.