TidesNet—Online Collections Entry Detail

DescriptionA large nineteenth century oil painting titled “Old Relic” by artist, Harry Sunter. It portrays a scene along the waterfront of Eastport, Maine and dates to 1886 just before the Great Fire of October 14, 1886 that leveled the downtown and surrounding waterfront. The buildings in the painting were all destroyed in the fire and represent an older type of wharf construction and building style than that rebuilt after the fire. Born in Massachusetts in about 1850, Sunter’s paintings first gained national attention in 1876 at the United States Centennial exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, and continued to be shown at that venue for almost a quarter century after his death. Much of his work was inspired by the idyllic Finger Lakes region of central New York, where he studied with W.H. Yates, a noted artist and teacher who lived in the area. Two of Sunter's best known oils represent scenes near Auburn: "Boat Race at Skaneateles" and "Owasco Lake Reformed Church, Sand Beach". He also painted seascapes along the shores of Massachusetts and Maine. His career was relatively brief, cut short by his untimely death in 1900 at age 39, The painting “Old Relic” was acquired by the Tides Institute through an auction of James Julia of Fairfield, Maine in 2009. Artist: Harry Sunter Medium: Oil on canvas Classification: Paintings Circa: 1886 Old Accession Number: 67