Artwork
Winter Dory, King's Beach, Swampscott, Massachusetts
Winter Dory, King's Beach, Swampscott, Massachusetts is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Charles Edwin Lewis Green. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
About this work
If you like this painting, you might want to check out other works by Charles Edwin Lewis Green.
The painting shows a small, empty boat on a beach. The boat is white with a red stripe and has a yellow tarp hanging over the side. It's sitting on a sandy beach with the water in the background. The sky is gray and cloudy.
The boat looks like it's been pulled up onto the beach, maybe after a storm. The tarp is hanging down, and there are some ropes and other things scattered around the boat. The water in the background is calm, but the sky looks like it might be about to storm again.
The painting is called Winter Dory, King's Beach, Swampscott, Massachusetts. It was painted by Charles Edwin Lewis Green in 1890. The painting is held at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. If you like this painting, you might want to check out other works by Charles Edwin Lewis Green.
Overview
Charles Edwin Lewis Green’s oil on canvas, titled Winter Dory, King’s Beach, Swampscott, Massachusetts, was completed in 1896. The work is part of the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It presents a solitary fishing dory resting on a wintry shoreline, under a muted, overcast sky.
Subject & Meaning
The composition focuses on a small white dory marked with a red stripe, its side draped with a yellow canvas cover. The vessel appears to have been hauled ashore after a recent gale, suggested by the scattered ropes and equipment. The calm water and threatening clouds evoke a moment of quiet anticipation before another storm.
Technique & Style
Green employs a restrained palette of grays, whites, and muted earth tones, allowing the red stripe and yellow tarp to punctuate the scene. Broad, blended brushstrokes render the cloudy sky and smooth water, while finer detailing defines the boat’s rigging and the texture of the sand.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston’s holdings in the early 20th century, though the exact acquisition date is not recorded in public records. It has remained in the museum’s American art collection, representing New England coastal life at the turn of the century.
Context
Created during a period when American artists were documenting regional landscapes, Green’s work reflects the New England maritime tradition. Swampscott’s King’s Beach was a common subject for painters interested in the interplay of sea, weather, and human activity in winter settings.
Artist & collection
