De Hirsh Margules, Mother Ann Lighthouse, Eastern Point, Gloucester, 1946. Gouache on paper. Gift of Jean M. Horblit, 2002. [Acc. #2002.004.002]
Gloucester Daily Times: A homecoming for an 1849 artwork by the celebrated Fitz Henry Lane
By Gail McCarthy, December 1, 2025
An 1849 artwork by the celebrated Fitz Henry Lane came home to Gloucester with a donation of the work to Cape Ann Museum.
Lisa Mehlin, an art conservator from Essex, was on site at the Cape Ann Museum Green campus last week to begin work on the restoration of the floral still life, a departure in subject from his many maritime works for which he is known.
The museum recently acquired the rare oil painting by Lane (1804–1865), a Gloucester native son who is known for his detailed artworks in the Luminist style. He also was a well-known printmaker in the era of the mid-19th century. The painting is a gift from the Philip G. Lewis family.
“This painting is early and unique to Lane’s oeuvre, and depicts an arrangement of flowers as gathered from a garden on Middle Street in Gloucester,” a news release reads. “It is being restored in advance of the museum’s main campus gallery reopening in April 2026, following a 16-month renovation. The museum has one of the most extensive collections of Lane’s paintings in the world and also maintains the online Fitz Henry Lane catalogue.”
The painting is just one of several new acquisitions, including sculptures, paintings, drawings, decorative arts and archival items, some which were donated outright and others were bought by the museum.
“Building on the news two years ago of the transformative commitment by Janet and William Ellery ‘Wilber’ James to gift 300 exemplary pieces of Cape Ann American art to the Cape Ann Museum, the institution has sought to expand its collections by working with other donors in recent years to reimagine the downtown campus galleries as part of the ambitious CAM 150 campaign,” according to the news release.
Museum Director Oliver Barker said the gifts of artworks and those who contribute money to support museum acquisitions represent a “collective generosity” that is both exciting and humbling.
“These new acquisitions and donations are paramount to the museum’s ability to further illuminate the stories of labor and ingenuity, but also of beauty and creativity that have always been intertwined here on Cape Ann,” he said.
“From Indigenous artifacts to a rare work by Fitz Henry Lane and other significant additions to our 19th-, 20th-, and 21st-century collections, each of these new works underscore the generosity of this community.”
Gail McCarthy may be contacted at 978-675-2706, or [email protected].
To read the full Gloucester Daily Times article, click here.
