An excellent example representative of the American scene painting movement, this composition by Jonas Lie offers a serene image that echoes a quiet delight in nature and a mood of life unhurried.
Lie was continually inspired by the vibrant, light filled atmosphere of the fashionable resort communities and artists' colonies along the New England coast. Throughout his prolific career he painted brilliantly colored images of the rocky coves and harbors that identify the region's dramatic shoreline. This work conveys his fascination with and adeptness at depicting ambiance.
This image portrays the scenic appeal of the bay at Rockport, Maine. Framed beneath a stand of birch trees a fleet of sailboats and a single schooner glide peacefully across the canvas. On the horizon, the headland at Owl's Head is silhouetted against a cloudy sky. The late afternoon sparkle on the surface of the water eloquently adds to the mood of tranquility that permeates so many of the works created by Jonas Lie.
Provenance: Plaza Galleries, New York, Circa 1950; Mr. & Mrs. Wilbur Wittich, New Jersey, Personal Friends Of The Artist; Allison Cooney, Granddaughter.
