Jane and Elizabeth

Fairfield Porter and his family moved to Southampton Village in 1949, and until Porter's death in 1975, this was the primary site of his painting activities. During those twenty-five years, the artist needed look no farther than his studio and its immediate surroundings for plentiful inspiration. His own family and a group of artist and poet friends served as his most frequent models, making this circumscribed universe even more intimate. While Porter is often referred to as a realist because of his recognizable subject matter, he appreciated the Abstract Expressionists and held the work of Willem de Kooning in unequivocal esteem. Whole passages in Porter's paintings are often less about the subjects depicted than they are about the quality of paint.