Monhegan- Motifs and Muse-
- bkeeler
- Oct 14
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 29
An essay on the island off the coast of Maine- Brian Keeler-
Above- A small (12" x 12") oil painting by the author- created en plein air on Monhegan Island. See the links at the bottom of this essay to view a video of the work being created on site.
Seeking the Muse on an Atlantic Island-
Two jutting rocky protuberances of land make their stand against the Atlantic off the coast of Maine and they are brave redoubts for us artists to clamber over while we search for the muse there. The two islands are Monhegan and Manana (rhymes with banana.) Manana is the smaller, cigar shaped island that sits in front of Monhegan. it sometimes populated by a herd of goats. Along with some smaller rocky outcroppings in the harbor, these sharp stoney slices of land make for interesting views. It is not hard to find the muse on the Monhegan Motif. Since at least 1858, when New York artist Andrew Draper Shattuck (1832-1928) first came there it has been a destination for many artists. I wonder about the prehistory though. What was the island to the indigenous inhabitants prior to the Euorpeans arrival? There are some intriguing petroglyphs or markings on Manana that offer only a hint.
I have made three trips there, which is only enough for a brief impression, especially compared to other artists of the 19th and 20th centuries who braved the elements there year round without the amenities of our current era. Other artists have, of course, moved there and stayed many years. Some who arrived in the early days had to depend on locals opening their homes for lodging as there were no hotels or guest houses in those days.
I met a group of plein air artists this year in a class led by Hartford, CT artist Frank Bruckmann. He pointed out a house on the hill that he'd rented previously, which was behind where I was painting that day. We talked about the position of the setting sun and how much it moves during the course of the year while sinking behind Manana Island. On another year I met accomplished painter Todd Bonita of New Hamphire who was also conducting a plein air class. The Wyeths, of course, have a house on the island, which we walked past on our stroll to Lobster Cove. There was a photo of Jamie Wyeth's plein air method in a newspaper years ago that showed him inside a constructed leanto of sorts to protect him from ( not the weather) but the tourists' prying eyes.
A 12" x 12" oil by the author showing the "Hudson House" in the foreground. This work was done on location during October of 2025. (View a video of his work being created- link at the end.)
Even though so many artists have come to the island and made too many paintings to count it does not diminish the appeal to me. It could be regarded as an overworked theme to render it hackneyed and trite. Perhaps a little too picure perfect some might say. The photographers with three-foot long telephoto lenses in pursuit of birds (one presumes) come to the island as well. There seems to be perhaps too many artists there, as there are several studios and the artists seem not to have much interest in each other. But I did have a convivial chat with Frank. It is also nice that there is a gallery there that sells a few art supplies along with books and show catalogs about the island. It was located a stone's throw away from our B&B, the Shining Sales.
Even with the abundance of those in pursuit of the motif, I still find the island wondrous. One might consider the island too much of a postcard or veering toward the overworked nostalgia of bygone eras. Antiquarian is the term for this, meaning a fascile interest in the past without drawing significance or relevance. But with some effort the valuable and timeless qualities of Monhegan are available. The ferry ride over on a brilliant morning made the sense of expectation palpable. Conversing with others on the prow we shared our fascination with the island and its calling. We learned of many Ithaca connections with other travelers. A couple sitting next to us had attended Cornell in the late 1960's and the woman had actually founded the former Rongovian Embassy, a famous watering hole/bar and music venue in Trumansburg, NY. Another local connection is that a film about Monhegan was written and directed by a former Ithacan, Robert Mrazak. That 2013 movie, The Congressman was filmed on the island. There was a screening at our local art theatre Cinemapolis with Mrazak present for Q&A after the film.
I find the history of the island's artists an intriguing lineage and it is enjoyable to find common cause with such a venerable tradition. It is also interesting that the lobstermen, and fishermen of the past have made a compatible relation with the artists. They seem to mutally support and enhance each other. Rockwell Kent certainly is at the top of my list of artists who painted Monhegan. And the fact that we both found the muse in the same area of Ireland, the northwest coast of County Donegal, is noteworthy as well. His pronounced left wing politics are an added connection.
Above- "End of October- Monhegan." This 36" x 36" oil by the author is a studio painting depicting lobstermen returning with their boats from a day's work checking the traps. This painting is in a private collection in New Jersey.
Above- Monhegan Moonset, October" Oil on linen on panel. 30" x 36"
I'm not sure if N.C. Wyeth painted Monhegan, but his spectacular coastal paintings of genre scenes of Maine are very similar subject matter to the Monhegan motifs. His canvases of fishermen, a woman hanging laundry and other themes are related to those artists who worked on the island. There are several canvases of N.C.'s in the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland, ME- (the church annex) that show rugged coastlines around Port Clyde, Maine where his home was located. One canvas shows his son Andrew as a youth, painting an oil as big waves crash in. This could also be Monhegan.
An artist not known heretofore, who was one of the first artists of the 20th century to paint the island, was discovered by accident. His catalog in the art store was mistaken as Andrew Wyeth by Linda when it was actually Andrew Winter. It was a serendipitous error, as the book shows his work through many photos to be a raw and unaffected portrayal of the hardscrabble life of the island. He lived on the island full time. Winter would paddle in his skiff around this island even in winter to observe the lobstermen at work. His paintings of Monhegan in the winter with snow on the rocks and buildings are wonderful.
Robert Henri, the leader of the Ashcan School has long been of interest to me. So his visits there along with George Bellows also bring in more of that early 20th century gritty realism. Henri's student, Edward Hopper, spent four summers there. We can see the influence of Robert Henri in the work of Andrew Winter as their paintings are painterly, brushy and direct.
On this most recent trip at the beginning of October the weather was unseasonably warm, around 70 degrees during the day. So it did not have that crispness of Autumn one might expect. Still, the light was outstanding and the various times of day brought out the topography beautifully. Atop the hill near the lighthouse one can have some great views of the setting sun and the setting full moon. We were there for the full moon which seemed to last a full week.
Above- a studio painting by the author depicting the goats that inhabit Manana Island, opposite of Monhegan. This 30" x 40" oil on linen, titled, "Island Goats- Monhegan" is available at the North Star Art Gallery in Ithaca, NY.
Truth to Nature- and Preserving Nature
The connection of Arthur Shattuck to the Hudson River School artists Thomas Cole and Asher B. Durrand is relevant as it underscores the preservationists and environmental advocacy of Cole and by extension to Shattuck and subsequent artists. Shattuck would have been familiar with the writings of Cole and his work, as both lived and had studios in New York City. This aspect of arts in service of the environment has a long tradition in America. We may think of John Muir or even the poetry of Walt Whitman and the philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson.
The appeal of Monhegan still is the window into a pre-industrialized time. Of course, there is modernity there now, but there is a concerted effort to preserve and protect the land. In fact, in our B&B there was a beautiful book on the coffee table that addressed this relation between ecology and art. It was titled, Art, Ecology and the Resilience of a Maine Island. It is reassuring to see the relation between the arts and nature documented. We may think of the ancient Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder who advocated for this relation around the time of Christ.
The truth to nature aspect comes in with those Monhegan artists making common cause with their British counterparts, namely the Pre-Raphaelite artists. The English art critic John Ruskin called on artists to study nature closely. We can see that in their work with closely rendered observations. Shattuck was considered an American Pre-Raphaelite and his intimate renderings of seaside cliffs reflect this sensibility.
Above- "Monhegan Light," a 30" x 30" A studio painting by the author. Now in a private collection.
The Muse in Nature and Light
While visiting Monhegan I have been drawn to the similar motifs that have attracted the artists mentioned above. Rising early well before the sunrise, I walked up to the lighthouse in pursuit of the fading nocturne atmospherics. The full moon setting was the goal for a couple days. The moon set to the north of Manana whereas the sun set about in the middle. On another night Linda and I went up to view the sun melting in the golden sky. I painted a small 12" x 12" oil on that evening- roughing in the composition and suggesting the nocturne. The lights on the house began to twinkle.
On another day I returned to the grassy hilltop area in a little park up the road from the church. A perfect place to paint. This year I chose a view similar to one that I painted about ten years ago. This was my first painting there this year. I remind myself that the previous version serves as a study- so as not to consider painting the same theme redundant.
I could easily return on another year with new motifs in mind as several good vantage points were discovered.
To view videos of the author painting on Monhegan go to these links-
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