Paradise Rocks, Newport

"Paradise Rocks, Newport" represents the culmination of Suydam's artistic achievement. Uniting his interests in poetic abstraction from nature, colorism, and tranquil order, the painting was itself influential, defining an iconic American view that was emulated by the artists of Suydam's circle long after his death. The painting is equally a symbol of Suydam's familiarity with the site where early theologian and philosopher George Berkeley (1685-1753) often worked during his extended stay in colonial Rhode Island. It was here that Berkeley formulated his influential theories of the nature of vision that prevailed until Suydam's day. Suydam challenged Berkeley's approach to art, however, by emphasizing light and color rather than space as Berkeley championed.