American Art Collaborative

Edward Mitchell Bannister (1828–1901) lived by the sea for most of his life, and many of his paintings, including Sunset Scene, feature boats or bodies of water. Here, the glowing oranges and yellows immediately draw us into the center of the image, highlighting the indistinct trees and buildings in the background. Bannister's intimate views of the American landscape contrast with the large vistas of mountains and canyons painted by many of his contemporaries. This picturesque scene, in which nature is shown as passive and calm, is typical of Bannister's work.

This artwork was recommended by citizen curators as part of our Fill the Gap project on Flickr. They said:

"It's a scene that feels lonely like several other pieces in the case." by Scott Abbey

"Fulfills this sections' qualities of impressionist realism. Captures natural temperatures and associated light more strikingly than the works around it." by Colin Snou