Gallery 26

At the painting’s center, a brilliant green and fuchsia hummingbird, painted life size, perches on the leaf of a Cattleya orchid. The orchid, a starburst of cotton-candy pink, is rooted onto the branch of a tree that is almost overgrown with moss and vines. The branch extends back and around to frame the bird and flower against the fully realized landscape of a South American mountain lake under a humid and stormy sky.

At the painting’s center, a brilliant green and fuchsia hummingbird, painted life size, perches on the leaf of a Cattleya orchid. The orchid, a starburst of cotton-candy pink, is rooted onto the branch of a tree that is almost overgrown with moss and vines. The branch extends back and around to frame the bird and flower against the fully realized landscape of a South American mountain lake under a humid and stormy sky.

Here we see the power of the ocean and our inconsequentiality before it. The beach appears to be deserted and the fringe of white foam at the water’s edge, typically all but invisible in the harsh glare of midday, glows under the low light of dusk. Figures are visible in the distance—two men sit in a small rowboat—but they are dwarfed by nature’s expanse.

Here we see the power of the ocean and our inconsequentiality before it. The beach appears to be deserted and the fringe of white foam at the water’s edge, typically all but invisible in the harsh glare of midday, glows under the low light of dusk. Figures are visible in the distance—two men sit in a small rowboat—but they are dwarfed by nature’s expanse.

Kensett cultivated potential patrons during his frequent visits to Newport, Rhode Island, a summer resort town popular with the wealthy. A natural businessman, he perceived a ready market for views of Newport’s pristine coastline and landscape among those visiting the fashionable resorts. This quiet scene—a meticulous study of nature under the suffused effects of morning light—records the subtle beauty of the region’s inner harbor.

Kensett cultivated potential patrons during his frequent visits to Newport, Rhode Island, a summer resort town popular with the wealthy. A natural businessman, he perceived a ready market for views of Newport’s pristine coastline and landscape among those visiting the fashionable resorts. This quiet scene—a meticulous study of nature under the suffused effects of morning light—records the subtle beauty of the region’s inner harbor.