The Fish and the Man

Vigorous applications of paint—often containing varnish mixed into layers of glazing—add intensity to this image of a Cape Cod fisherman and his prize haul.A devoted pupil and studio assistant of William Merritt Chase, Charles Webster Hawthorne founded his own summer art program in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in the early 20th century. He became one of the leading painters in the famed artists’ colony, known particularly for his portraits of the working people along Cape Cod, such as this fisherman.