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Lot Essay
Infusing his work with the influence of European masters like Édouard Vuillard, as well as contemporary sources like Willem de Kooning, Fairfield Porter created a modern style entirely his own. Of the art of painting, Porter said: “It means not knowing what you are going to do ahead of time. The ability to be open to what is happening while you work.” (as quoted in J. Ludman, R. Downes, W. Agee, J.T. Spike, Fairfield Porter: A Catalogue Raisonné of the Paintings, Watercolors, and Pastels, New York, 2001, p. 15) White Boats captures the surroundings of the artist’s daily life in a manner true to the scenery but also, more importantly, to his own impulsive feelings during the painting process. Surrendering himself to inspiration and impulse, the present work is one of the artist’s first Maine seascapes and a testament to Porter’s undeniable skill as a painter and his artistic vision at large.
In 1961, Porter left his position as an art critic at The Nation, deciding to devote himself to painting. In July of 1961, he wrote: “I have been painting a good deal...I have to get my hand in again—I have quit writing criticism, and want to paint instead…” (as quoted in J.T. Spike, Fairfield Porter: An American Classic, New York, 1992, p. 159) The present work is a product of that year and a reflection of his newfound dedication to making art.
White Boats depicts Maine, a place that Porter considered his home and spent many summers. His family home was on Great Spruce Head Island, where he painted the beautiful surrounding landscape, as well as the numerous visitors that frequented the ‘Big House,’ as Porter called it. In 1961, Porter returned to the island for the first time in four years.
The present work reflects Porter’s love of the state’s unique landscape through its sense of spontaneity, likely rooted in his familiarity with his surroundings. He places the boats on the placid, blue-grey water, which effortlessly blends into the horizon. His unaffected, uninhibited approach is evident in the gestural brushstrokes, particularly in the trees along the coastline and the pier extending into the water. Porter infuses his representational style with aspects of abstraction: while the boats and the pier are recognizable, their simplified forms are animated through the energized brushwork and Porter’s clever use of color.
As William C. Agee explains, “[Porter's] paintings convey a strong sense of place and presence, but for him the literal transcription of what he saw before him was beside the point. The actual subject was of little concern; rather it was in the paint itself that he found the life, the vitality, and the wholeness of the painting. He understood that the difference between realism and abstraction is not as simple as it seems.” (Fairfield Porter: An American Painter, Southampton, New York, 1993, p. 11) Precisely because he painted them according to the connection he was feeling with his environment, Porter's best works seem of-the-moment rather than practiced, casual and direct rather than forced. Uniquely capturing the beautiful imagery of his Maine homeland, White Boats is a perfect example of Porter’s play with both detailed and expressionist techniques.
In 1961, Porter left his position as an art critic at The Nation, deciding to devote himself to painting. In July of 1961, he wrote: “I have been painting a good deal...I have to get my hand in again—I have quit writing criticism, and want to paint instead…” (as quoted in J.T. Spike, Fairfield Porter: An American Classic, New York, 1992, p. 159) The present work is a product of that year and a reflection of his newfound dedication to making art.
White Boats depicts Maine, a place that Porter considered his home and spent many summers. His family home was on Great Spruce Head Island, where he painted the beautiful surrounding landscape, as well as the numerous visitors that frequented the ‘Big House,’ as Porter called it. In 1961, Porter returned to the island for the first time in four years.
The present work reflects Porter’s love of the state’s unique landscape through its sense of spontaneity, likely rooted in his familiarity with his surroundings. He places the boats on the placid, blue-grey water, which effortlessly blends into the horizon. His unaffected, uninhibited approach is evident in the gestural brushstrokes, particularly in the trees along the coastline and the pier extending into the water. Porter infuses his representational style with aspects of abstraction: while the boats and the pier are recognizable, their simplified forms are animated through the energized brushwork and Porter’s clever use of color.
As William C. Agee explains, “[Porter's] paintings convey a strong sense of place and presence, but for him the literal transcription of what he saw before him was beside the point. The actual subject was of little concern; rather it was in the paint itself that he found the life, the vitality, and the wholeness of the painting. He understood that the difference between realism and abstraction is not as simple as it seems.” (Fairfield Porter: An American Painter, Southampton, New York, 1993, p. 11) Precisely because he painted them according to the connection he was feeling with his environment, Porter's best works seem of-the-moment rather than practiced, casual and direct rather than forced. Uniquely capturing the beautiful imagery of his Maine homeland, White Boats is a perfect example of Porter’s play with both detailed and expressionist techniques.