America / c. 1846–1847
Harbor of Boston, with the City in the Distance
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Harbor of Boston, with the City in the Distance as painting (America · c. 1846–1847).
For a long time, art historians mistakenly thought the artist’s middle name was Hugh.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as oil on canvas and credits Fitz Henry Lane (American, 1804–1865).
The museum's collection notes: In this late afternoon view of Boston Harbor, Lane masterfully evoked the diffuse quality of sunlight reflecting off water. The artist was a son of a shipbuilder, so perhaps it is not surprising that his renderings of ships and their intricate riggings are painstakingly accurate. On the far left side of the painting, evolving technology appears in the guise of a steamboat, which ferried passengers between Boston and Gloucester.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtHarbor of Boston, with the City in the DistanceOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.