William Steeple Davis (American, 1884-1961), Bound for Distant Shores

Oil on canvas (lined), 1928, signed at lower left, retaining labels to the verso, presented in a gilt frame with gallery plaque affixed at lower center.

Stretcher size 24 1/2 x 30 1/4 in.; Frame dimensions 29 x 35 in.

William Steeple Davis was an American artist best known for documenting the maritime landscapes and coastal life of Orient, Long Island. Davis spent most of his life in Oysterponds, where he created thousands of works depicting the region’s harbors, fishing boats, rural architecture, and seasonal scenery. An accomplished photographer, writer, inventor, and multimedia artist, he began practicing photography at just thirteen years old and went on to develop an extraordinary visual record of eastern Long Island that remains one of the most significant collections held by the Oysterponds Historical Society. In addition, Davis patented the Davis Daylight Developing Machine for Plates in 1906 and later published Practical Amateur Photography in 1923. He also worked extensively in oil painting, watercolor, engraving, etching, and drawing, leaving behind a remarkably diverse body of work.

The painting has been lined, with several flakes to lower register, and yellowing to the varnish.