Dorchester 1856

Edward Mitchell Bannister, Dorchester 1856, 1856, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. Charles Mandell, 1983.95.81
Copied Edward Mitchell Bannister, Dorchester 1856, 1856, oil on canvas, 14 1⁄8 x 20 1⁄8 in. (35.9 x 51.1 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. Charles Mandell, 1983.95.81
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Dorchester 1856
Artist
Date
1856
Location
Dimensions
14 1⁄8 x 20 1⁄8 in. (35.9 x 51.1 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. Charles Mandell
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Landscape — mountain
  • Landscape — United States — Dorchester
  • Landscape — river
  • Figure group
  • Architecture Exterior — domestic — house
Object Number
1983.95.81
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1983.95.81

Artwork Description

This is one of Edward Mitchell Bannister's few surviving paintings from the 1850s. In this view of Dorchester, Massachusetts, the artist included the stately homes dotting the coast. This was likely a marketing tactic, for he hoped to appeal to the wealthy merchants living in those "cottages." Bannister spent summers sailing around Massachusetts and Rhode Island on daily outings that allowed him to sketch and paint familiar views for his wealthy patrons in Boston and Providence. (Hartigan, Sharing Traditions, 1985)