Francis Augustus Silva (1835 - 1886)
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Born in New York City in 1835, Francis Augustus Silva was an American Luminist painter best known for his poetic harbor scenes along the East Coast. While Silva never received any formal artistic training, he still managed to manifest artistic talent from an early age. At thirteen, his ink drawings were exhibited at the Annual Fair of the American Institute of the City of New York. In 1858, he put his aspirations to be a prominent painter on hold in order to serve in the Civil War. After being discharged from the military in 1868, Silva had his first exhibit at the National Academy of Design, which paved the way for his painting career.
Mostly painting marine subjects of the East Coast, Silva developed his style of dramatically lit, atmospheric Luminism in his paintings. Specifically, Silva focused on the Boston Harbor, Cape Ann, Narragansett Bay, the Hudson River, Boston and New York City. His most famous paintings, which evidence his fondness for harbor views, represent the shipwreck scenes of Brooklyn and Long Island and were both exhibited at the Brooklyn Art Association from 1869 to 1885.
Mostly painting marine subjects of the East Coast, Silva developed his style of dramatically lit, atmospheric Luminism in his paintings. Specifically, Silva focused on the Boston Harbor, Cape Ann, Narragansett Bay, the Hudson River, Boston and New York City. His most famous paintings, which evidence his fondness for harbor views, represent the shipwreck scenes of Brooklyn and Long Island and were both exhibited at the Brooklyn Art Association from 1869 to 1885.