North American Art

Ogunquit Art Colony: The Painter’s Paradise in Maine

Anthony de Feo 18 April 2017 min Read

The Abenaki people, native to southern Maine, knew of their homeland’s allure long before their European successors. The word ogunquit—which became the name of a small shipbuilding community on the state’s southern border—means “beautiful place by the sea” in their language. The Ogunquit Art Colony was a paradise for American painters seeking to portray the natural beauty of Maine’s landscape.

By the early 20th century, it had become a popular destination for artists who wished to capture the landscape’s natural elegance. The community came to foster two very different schools of art: the Ogunquit Summer School of Drawing and Painting (founded by Charles Woodbury) and the Ogunquit Summer School of Graphic Arts (the brainchild of Hamilton Easter Field, a student of Woodbury’s).

ogunquit postcrad ogunquit artists ogunquit artist colony
Trail to the Gorge, Bald Head Cliff, Ogunquit postcard, 1951. OldPostcards.

The pastoral farmland and rough-hewn seaside served, for Woodbury, as inspiration to create a truly American style of painting. A native of Lynn, Massachusetts, his work drew heavy influence from the Boston School. Similar “regional impressionist” ideals spread across the East Coast during the birth of Impressionism in Europe.

Charles Woodbury Narrow Cove ogunquit artists ogunquit painters ogunquit artist colony
Charles Woodbury, High Tide, Narrow Cove, Ogunquit, Maine, 1939, Vose Galleries, Boston, MA, USA.

In 1898, Woodbury opened his aforementioned art school. Unprecedented at the time, his summer classes were a unique alternative to attending a traditional (and strict) art academy. Here he taught his “art of seeing,” which emphasized subjectivity in art—how things seem rather than how they appear.

Charles Woodbury ogunquit artists ogunquit painters ogunquit artist colony
Photograph of Charles Woodbury, 1891. DownEast.

He and his students produced honest depictions of local life and landscape, drawing the attention of Robert Henri (of the New York–based Ashcan School) and Edward Hopper. They rejected modernist innovations, and in doing so often became innovators themselves: Woodbury forever changed the typical viewpoint for marine paintings, choosing to present his seascapes midway over the waves as though the viewer were floating above them. He went on to be considered by some the greatest marine painter since Winslow Homer.

Woodbury Waves ogunquit artists ogunquit painters ogunquit artist colony
Charles Woodbury, Windswept Seas, Vose Galleries, Boston, MA, USA.

In the summer of 1902, Hamilton Easter Field—along with his protege Robert Laurent (the sculptor, 12 years of age at the time)—arrived in Ogunquit looking for a summer residence. Instead, he bought a row of shacks that he started renting out cheaply to artists. This was the first step towards creating a true artist colony.

Hamilton Easter Field houses ogunquit artists ogunquit painters ogunquit artist colony
Photograph of Field’s studio, early 1900s. Pinterest.

In 1911, Field founded his own summer art school. Unlike Woodbury, he was a strong proponent of modernism. Often, he and his students worked inside with nude models, whereas Woodbury’s students were out-of-doors. Though they were opposing thinkers, the two artists and their schools coexisted peacefully, further fostering an artistic community in Ogunquit.

Hamilton Easter Field ogunquit artists ogunquit painters ogunquit artist colony
Hamilton Easter Field, Self-Portrait, ca. 1898, Barn Gallery Associates, Ogunquit, ME, USA.

The area’s landscape drew the first, let’s say, more traditional artists, who then attracted their modernist successors. Soon enough, Ogunquit was a thriving, even lively seaside town, whose party scene in the 1920s through the 1940s became a thing of legend. It was a true paradise for those who sought family among their fellow artists.

In 1953, Henry Strater—a former student of Woodbury—opened the Ogunquit Museum of American Art (built, coincidentally, on a plot of land purchased from his teacher’s family). The museum was, in many ways, a response to the growing popularity of contemporary writers. Strater wanted to spread awareness about modern American painters, particularly his friends in the northeast.

Henry Strater ogunquit artists ogunquit painters ogunquit artist colony
Photograph of Henry Strater painting. Ogunquit Heritage Museum.

To this day, both the museum and the legacies of the painters whose works it displays are a testament to the innovation and creativity born in Ogunquit. This quaint, quiet, “beautiful place by the sea” was an inspiration to many of the greatest—yet perhaps more unheard—artists of the modern era. It remains not only a reminder of the strength to be found in artistic community, but also a continuing influence on the minds and hearts drawn to the seaside.

Get your daily dose of art

Click and follow us on Google News to stay updated all the time

Recommended

North American Art

Chiura Obata: Alien Enemy and Great American Painter

Chiura Obata applied Japanese training and technique to picturesque California landscapes with stunning results. Interned during World War II because...

Theodore Carter 19 May 2025

North American Art

The Magical World of Maxfield Parrish in 10 Artworks

Maxfield Parrish was an influential American artist and illustrator known for whimsical mythological scenes and vibrant colors in his artworks.

Katerina Papouliou 29 May 2025

North American Art

Diego Rivera in 5 Paintings: The Art of Revolution, Industry, and Culture

Diego Rivera (1886–1957) was more than just a painter—he was a storyteller, a historian, and a revolutionary with a brush. His murals burst with...

Joanna Kaszubowska 3 April 2025

North American Art

Prudence Heward in 5 Paintings: Portraying the Modern Canadian Woman

Prudence Heward (1896–1947) was an acclaimed Canadian woman artist who was active during the interwar period. Her work was shown all over the...

Seoyoung (Alyssa) Kim 1 July 2025