In the years following the Civil War, America struggled to heal. The art from that period often reflected the uncertainty of the times and the somber mourning period for the loss of life and ideals of a young nation.
With cities and towns left in ruins, it was a period that Lewis Mumford termed "the brown decades" in 1931 for the subdued and dark colors used by prominent artists of the period, such as Albert Pinkham Ryder, Winslow Homer, and Thomas Eakins. Homer, who spent much time on the coast, painted even sea subjects fraught with peril.
Closer to home, the Moran family was taking another approach. As Americans yearned for prosperity and optimism, the Morans looked to the sea for inspiration. Along with other artists and writers, they found hope in the undeveloped national landscape and the power of its waterways to knit us back together.
Beginning on July 1, the Thomas & Mary Nimmo Moran Studio will exhibit "The Sounding Sea," paintings by Edward Moran, paintings and etchings by Thomas Moran, and etchings by Mary Nimmo Moran.
According to the East Hampton Historical Society, which organized the show, "It was the ocean's multiple personalities that lured artists to portray it in its many roles. The sea can be operatic in its fury or poetic when it is placid and alluring. Nineteenth century artists followed our coastlines from north to south. The oceans offered both pleasure and profit."
The exhibition will run through September. Tickets must be purchased in advance on the society's website.
