AFA 18th Anniversary

During Lane’s lifetime, Americans developed a fascination with depictions of their communities, large or small. From the late eighteenth century on, town and city views became a staple of the printmaking industry. Earlier, prints were engraved or etched on metal plates, an expensive process that put most of these prints out of reach of working or middle-class consumers. The introduction of lithography changed the distribution of prints to include these consumers; and Lane, in particular, focused his talents on this genre. Fittingly, his first panoramic view depicted his hometown. Made from a high vantage point from across the harbor on the shore of Smith’s Cove, Lane managed to include both the oldest part of the East Gloucester community clustered on Smith’s Cove, as well as the larger harbor with its many buildings. The dramatic sky is a common feature of Lane’s views. Antiques & Fine Art 169 2018 Lane clearly signed this urban view for all to see. In a way, this print signifies the end of his brief apprenticeship at the Pendleton firm and his emergence as an experienced artist from life and on stone. Although small in size, the complexity of the composition suggests Lane’s mastery of perspective. Also, his use of the lithographic crayon reveals that he could adjust tone to suit the composition by using greater or lesser pressure on the stone. Lithographic crayons come in varying degrees of hardness, enabling the draftsman to make thin or thick lines as desired. View of the Old Building at the corner of Ann St., Boston, Mass. Drawn by F. H. Lane. Lithograph by Pendleton’s Lithography, Boston, 1835. Lithograph on paper, hand-colored, 6⅜ x 81⁄16 in. Boston Athenaeum. View of the Town of Gloucester, Mass. Lithograph on paper. Drawn by F. H. Lane. Lithograph by Pendleton’s Lithography, Boston, 1836. Lithograph on paper, 13 x 19¾ in. Collection of the Cape Ann Museum; Gift of Gilbert L. Patillo.