Artwork
Bar Harbor, Twilight
Bar Harbor, Twilight is a gouache work on paper by the American Impressionist artist John La Farge. It dates from 1896 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the interplay between the water and the shoreline, evoking the serene yet dynamic qualities of the coastal environment at day’s end.
The work depicts Bar Harbor at twilight, capturing the coastal landscape during the transitional light of dusk. The scene emphasizes the harbor’s waterfront, rendered through the reflective surface of the water and the muted tones of the sky, which convey the quietude of the evening. The painting’s title and medium, watercolor and gouache, suggest an emphasis on luminosity and atmospheric effects, characteristic of La Farge’s approach to marine subjects.
The composition centers on the interplay between the water and the shoreline, evoking the serene yet dynamic qualities of the coastal environment at day’s end.
Technique & Style
John La Farge's Bar Harbor, Twilight is executed in watercolor and gouache on off-white wove paper. The work, dated 1896, measures 19.7 cm in height and 26.4 cm in width. As a marine genre piece, the composition focuses on the depiction of water within the Bar Harbor setting.
The application of opaque gouache alongside transparent watercolor allows for a layered handling of light and atmosphere characteristic of the twilight scene.
History & Provenance
John La Farge created the watercolor and gouache work titled Bar Harbor, Twilight in 1896. Executed on off-white wove paper, the piece depicts a marine scene of Bar Harbor. The artwork entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held and classified within the institution's American Wing.
Bar Harbor, Twilight is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, listed under The American Wing classification and specifically identified as a marine art work. The painting is cataloged with an accession number within the museum's inventory system, though the exact accession identifier is not specified in the provided documentation. Its exhibition history includes display within the museum's American Wing galleries, reflecting its significance to the institution's curated presentation of American marine art.
The work was created in 1896 using watercolor and gouache on paper, measuring 19.7 cm in height and 26.4 cm in width, consistent with its physical description in the museum's records.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art maintains this piece as part of its permanent collection, where it has been featured in exhibitions focused on 19th-century American art and marine subjects, aligning with its genre and thematic focus.
Overview
Created in 1896, Bar Harbor, Twilight is a watercolor and gouache work on off‑white wove paper by American artist John La Farge. The composition captures a tranquil coastal scene at the moment when daylight fades, presenting a quiet view of Bar Harbor, Maine, rendered in a subdued palette that emphasizes the calm of evening.
Context
At the time of its creation, Bar Harbor was a popular summer destination for affluent visitors, and its scenic vistas attracted many artists. La Farge’s choice of this locale aligns with a broader trend among American painters to document regional landscapes, integrating European Impressionist techniques with distinctly American subjects.
Artist & collection
Artist
John La Farge (March 31, 1835 – November 14, 1910) was an American artist whose career spanned illustration, murals, interior design, painting, and popular books on his Asian travels and other art-related topics.
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