Francis Augustus Silva
American, 1835–1886
Silva was known for his marine subjects and is usually associated with the Luminist painters of the nineteenth century. Beginning as a sign painter, he served in the Civil War, and in 1868 began a career as a professional artist, exhibiting yearly at the National Academy of Design between 1868 and 1886. His subject matter was typically the United States' Atlantic coast from Chesapeake Bay to Cape Ann, Massachusetts, and the Hudson River in New York. This watercolor depicts the shoreline at Cape Anne, with Thacher Island seen in the distance. About three-quarters of a mile offshore, the island is the site of twin lighthouses built in the eighteenth century, the silhouettes of which are barely visible on the horizon line.
American, 1835–1886
Thacher Island
about 1875
Object Type:
Painting
Dimensions:
12 in. x 19 1/4 in. (30.48 cm x 48.9 cm)
Medium and Support:
Watercolor on paper
Accession Number:
1983.0005.0001
Credit Line:
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James E. McGhee in memory of Ernest McGhee
Silva was known for his marine subjects and is usually associated with the Luminist painters of the nineteenth century. Beginning as a sign painter, he served in the Civil War, and in 1868 began a career as a professional artist, exhibiting yearly at the National Academy of Design between 1868 and 1886. His subject matter was typically the United States' Atlantic coast from Chesapeake Bay to Cape Ann, Massachusetts, and the Hudson River in New York. This watercolor depicts the shoreline at Cape Anne, with Thacher Island seen in the distance. About three-quarters of a mile offshore, the island is the site of twin lighthouses built in the eighteenth century, the silhouettes of which are barely visible on the horizon line.
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