W. Ferdinand Macy (1852-1901)

W. Ferdinand Macy Devoted His Professional Career Mainly To Capturing On Canvas The Large Number Of Strikingly Realistic Maritime Portrayals That Have Accorded Him Lasting Recognition In The Annals Of New England Art. Evincing Youthful Artistic Talent He Was Painting By The Age Of 16 And At The Age 18 Undertook Three Years Of Study With R. Swain Gifford In New York City. Under Gifford'S Tutelage Ferdinand Developed Expertise In The Genre Which Was To Become His Lifelong Passion. With Marked Concentration On Coastal Areas; Ferdinand'S Oils Depict A Broad Range Of Shoreline Dune Marsh And Lighthouse Scenes Which Brought Contemporary Acclaim; But Embrace Also A Wide Range Of Nonmarine Subjects Such As Woodlands Bridges Buildings Interiors Flowers Pastures And Atmospheric Effects. Art Critics Of The Day Heaped Praise On His Works Often Describing Them In Superlatives And Mentioning Frequently His Excellence As A Colorist. Ferdinand Led A Peripatetic Lifestyle Relocating According To Season Or Personal Necessity. He Worked Mostly In And Around New Bedford Nantucket Wellfleet Boston And Pembroke Ma; With Short Periods Of Residence Also In Foxboro Westborough And Revere Ma; Hartford Ct; North Conway Nh; And Coastal Areas Of Maine. His Recorded Legacy Comprises No Less Than 212 Paintings Of Which 117 Are Marines Or Marshscapes. A Preponderance Of His Surviving Works Are In Private Hands.