Painted in the year of the artist’s death, this small, haunting canvas epitomizes John Frederick Kensett’s late work, in which the familiar New England coastline conveys a sense of stillness and quietude. As a member of the second generation of the Hudson River school, Kensett preferred smaller, more introspective views of nature rather than the grander vision espoused by his peers.

Adapted from

Sue Canterbury, DMA Label text, 2012

• John Frederick Kensett, Biography
  Learn more about the artist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art website.