by Sàndor Bernàth
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Sàndor Bernàth (1892 – c. 1984) |
Watercolor painting of the Highland Light and the keepers’ house in the artist’s characteristic crisp style. Bernàth’s works characteristically emphasize geometric shapes and a pronounced interest in form and light. His style is allied with the precisionist paintings of his contemporaries. This painting has less light contrast than others by Bernàth, presumably to capture the even light of typical fog of the region.
Known since 1976 as the Cape Cod Light, this famous lighthouse in North Truro, Massachusetts, has been a beacon to oceangoing vessels on the Atlantic for over 200 years. The original wooden structure was built in 1797 to prevent the numerous shipwrecks in that part of the Cape, and was the first lighthouse in the nation to have a flashing light. The structure and the light were rebuilt numerous times over the ensuing decades, with the version we know today built in 1857, becoming the highest lighthouse in New England and one of the East Coast’s most powerful lights. Technical improvements to the light itself have continued into the late 20th century. The Highland Light has been a beloved New England landmark for decades and Henry David Thoreau affectionately described it in his book Cape Cod. In 1996, concerns arose about erosion of the cliffs where the lighthouse stood and funds were raised to relocate it to a spot 450 feet away, where it stands today and is open to the public, with volunteers giving tours.
Sàndor Bernàth was a prolific American watercolorist. He was born in Hungary, but emigrated to America early in his career. Bernàth developed a characteristic style of smoothly delineated forms with strong contrasts of light and shadow, which relate to the styles of his slightly older contemporaries Edward Hopper and the American Precisionist painters Charles Sheeler and Charles Demuth. He is sometimes referred to as a “student of Edward Hopper” but this likely is metaphorical rather than literal. His later works in the 1970s (when he was in his eighties) were more painterly and atmospheric in style. He was a member of the American Watercolor Society, and remains best known for his watercolor paintings.
Bernàth began exhibiting watercolor landscapes in New York by the early 1920s, including European and New York scenes. He was also painting seascapes of New England, including Cape Cod; an extant Bernàth work of dunes in Cape Cod is dated 1928, and one of Long Point Light, Provincetown, Cape Cod, is dated 1935. From the 1920s to 1940s he lived in Maine, although he continued to travel. He painted many views of the Maine coast, one of which was purchased by the Brooklyn Museum of Art. In his mid career, Bernàth traveled to the mountainous regions of New Mexico, presumably Taos, where he painted numerous landscape watercolors featuring its snowy mountains and adobe buildings. These remain among of his most sought-after works.
Bernàth worked as an illustration artist for many New York City advertising agencies in the 1950s, and would frequently bring his pictures to sell directly to executives working at the firms for their private collections. At that time he produced multiple works of similar images that apparently sold well, especially his yachting pictures.
Reference:
“Highland Light (Cape Cod Light), North Truro, Massachusetts.” New England Lighthouses, A Virtual Guide. 7 February 2003. http://www.lighthouse.cc/highland/history.html (28 September 2004).