Hayley Lever
Fishing Harbor, Brittiny

About the Item

Signed lower right and dated 1930. Lever’s “Fishing Harbor in Brittany” is as much a scene celebrating the boats and quaint architecture of coastal France, as it is a nod to its humble inhabitants. From the paved stone walkway of the quai and beyond, a hazy golden light pervades the scene of fishermen and fishmongers passing along the day’s catch. The angled composition is more an artist’s decision and nod to Van Gogh, whose work Lever highly prized and idealized, and by extension, Van Gogh and other late 19th century Impressionist and post- Impressionist painters’ interest and emulation of the cropped Japanese style of compositions found in ukioyo-e prints. Lever’s brushstrokes are by turn broad and sensitive, accurately rendering the surroundings without bestowing an undue sense of weight in the watery scene, the light glancing gently off the water, as well as the well-worn and weathered town and its people. Artist Biography Born in Adelaide, Australia, Hayley Lever was known for his town-shore landscapes and still-life painting in a style that combined impressionism with vivid colors and strong lines of realism---post impressionism. In his use of color, he was deeply influenced by Vincent Van Gogh. He freely explored numerous styles based on impressionism but was never locked into any particular style. He showed early art talent and traveled to England in 1893. He studied art in London and then painted at an artists' colony in Cornwall on the seacoast of St. Ives where he began his seacoast paintings. He received much attention in Europe for these works. In 1908, he did a series of paintings called "Van Gogh's Hospital, Holland" expressing the profound influence he felt of that artist. Lever came to America in 1911, encouraged by American artist Ernest Lawson whom he knew in France, and was soon counted among the most widely exhibited artists in New York City. Many of his scenes were of Manhattan. He had a summer studio in Gloucester, Massachusetts and from 1919 to 1931 taught at the Art Students League in New York City. He also became Director of the Studio Art Club in Mount Vernon, New York. Lever imparted to his students the following message: "Art is the re-creation of mood in line, form and color. If I were confined to my own back yard for the rest of my life, I'd still have more pictures in my mind than I would have time to paint. Art is nothing but having a good time" (Comenos Fine Art). He died in Mount Vernon, New York in 1958, having suffered ill health the last few years of his life. He received many awards and critical acclaim and his works were purchased by major American museums, such as New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art and Washington's Phillips Collection and Corcoran Museum. Credit: askart

Creator:
Hayley Lever (1876-1958, American)
Dimensions:
Height: 40 in (101.6 cm)Width: 50 in (127 cm)Depth: 3 in (7.62 cm)
Medium:
Canvas,Oil
Movement & Style:
Post-Impressionist
Period:
1930-1939
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Saratoga Springs, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU17029247722
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Hayley Lever

Hayley Lever arrived in England at the turn of the century and worked and studied for a few years before settling down in the Cornwall village of St. Ives, a picturesque fishing port in southern England. He became an essential member of the artist's colony and produced an extensive body of work, predominantly fishing vessels, marines, seascapes, and port scenes. A prolific artist, Lever submitted his work to competitions in England, France, and even to America, receiving several prestigious awards. He also traveled to various countries in Europe, sketching wherever he went. Many of his most compelling works were done in the south of England and the port villages of Douarnenez and Concarneau in Brittany, directly across the English Channel from St. Ives. American artists occasionally visited St. Ives and Lever befriended Ernest Lawson, who greatly admired his work. Lawson persuaded Lever to emigrate to America, and he arrived in New York in 1912 with his family. Lever soon discovered the New England coast, where he began to paint the fishing fleets of Gloucester and the elegant yachts of Marblehead, producing scenes that became popular in the New York art market. Major galleries such as William Macbeth, Ferargil, and Daniel and Rehn gave him exhibitions, and he continued to gather awards including a gold medal at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, in 1915. The National Arts Club honored him with a life membership, and he was elected as a member of the National Academy. From 1919–31, Lever taught life classes and still life painting at the Art Students' League of New York. He also maintained a summer studio in Gloucester in the 1920s from which he traveled to Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and the Canadian maritime provinces, producing many spectacular marines. Lever's paintings and watercolors are in numerous museum collections throughout the United States, Europe, and Australia, including the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Phillips Memorial Gallery in Washington, DC, and the Sydney Art Gallery, in Australia.