A pioneer of American modernism, Jane Peterson is remembered as one of America’s most innovative artists, as well as one of the foremost female painters of the early 20th century. Her highly unique style paired her academic training with a fascinating blend of Impressionism, Expressionism and the Art Nouveau, all influenced by her extensive travels abroad and friendships with the likes of Joaquin Sorolla and Louis Comfort Tiffany. A perfect example of her exceptional talent, Fishing Boats, Gloucester, Massachusetts depicts a vibrant harbor scene in this charming New England town.
Peterson’s work from the early 20th century is considered among the most important of her career. Though she briefly worked as a watercolor instructor at the Art Students League in New York between 1913 and 1919, she frequently traveled abroad during the 1910s and 1920s. After studying under Sorolla in Madrid, she embarked on a lengthy trip to Egypt and Algeria, where she composed a series of paintings in the bold style influenced by her mentor. The same boldness and deeply saturated color are also seen in the present work, though its subject is distinctly American.
By the latter part of her life, Peterson embarked on regular visits to Gloucester, which was renowned as a haven for American artists, including the great Childe Hassam. Fishing Boats, Gloucester, Massachusetts exemplifies the engaging palette and confident brushwork that defined her style from this period when she turned to the quaint town for inspiration.
Born in Elgin, Illinois in 1876, Peterson possessed a natural talent for drawing, and though she received no formal early training, she was accepted at the elite Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in 1895. After graduating in 1901, she worked briefly as an art teacher in New York, before sailing to Europe in 1907. There she found a more progressive artistic circle welcoming of female artists, and thus decided to stay to continue her studies. While in Paris, she exhibited her work at the Société des Artistes Français and by 1909, she held her first American exhibition at the Botolph Club in Boston. Her success continued to grow in America and abroad, leading the American Historical Society to name Peterson the "most outstanding individual of the year" in 1938.
Circa 1920
