Among the highlights of the show is a richly detailed and vibrant oil by Stephen Etnier (1903-1984) capturing the coastal life of South Harpswell, Maine, on a summer afternoon. A young boy sails a wooden toy boat at the beach against the backdrop of a quiet harbor filled with an array of boats and summer cottages lining the shore. Contrasting Etnier's sharp, clear realism are the bold, abstracted brushstrokes of James Fitzgerald's (1899-1971) “Gulls of Monhegan II.” The large dark form of Manana Island looms in the background as a vortex of gulls in flight dominate the foreground in this dynamic, monochromatic watercolor.

 

On the European front, Einar Wegener's (Danish, 1882 - 1931) “Reflecting Pool,” Versailles depicts the estate's early 18th century sculpture and vast reflecting pool in impressionist paint strokes while the distant palace and cloud formations dissolve in an atmospheric effect. Wegener, also known as Lili Elbe, was featured in the movie, "The Danish Girl." Another impressionist oil in the exhibition is by the French artist Jean Eugene Julian Masse (1856-1939). A cross between the subject matter of Barbizon painter Camille Corot and the fractured color of Claude Monet, Masse's landscape resonates with light and mood. Bronze relief sculptures by Croatian artist, Robert Franges-Mihanovic (1872-1940) portray the seasons of spring and autumn with the  profiles of women decorated with roses and pine boughs in an Art Nouveau style. Franges-Mihanovic was a pioneer in modern Croatian sculpture. He was trained in Vienna and later in Paris where he studied with Auguste Rodin.

 

Among the contemporary Maine art on display is a large oil by Keith Oehmig titled “Island Sentinel” of a lone island house set against the purple black rocks of Manana and a royal blue sea. 

 

"Fresh Paint and Recent Acquisitions" will be on display through Sunday, June 30 at the Wiscasset Bay Gallery.

 

For more information, call 207-882-7682, or visit the gallery's website at wiscassetbaygallery.com. The Wiscasset Bay Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., and is located at 75 Main Street (Route 1) in historic Wiscasset Village.