This painting-one of Fitz Henry Lane's masterpieces-provides a panoramic view of Gloucester as it was in 1852: its harbor, buildings and boats, and its people at work and at play. Done at the height of Lane's career, this painting reflects the artist's lithography training, his extraordinary draftsmanship and his artistic skills. Lane succeeds brilliantly here; he packed the scene with a wealth of detail, yet the work feels spacious and open, dominated by a spectacular sky that floats above a still harbor. Lane was a master at using skies to great theatrical affect. In this case he darkened the value of the water and clouds in the center of his canvas and rendered the town in much lighter tone, causing it to glow like a stage set.

Sidney Mason (1799-1871) commissioned Fitz Henry Lane to do this painting. Mason was a prominent busi-nessman, responsible for much of Gloucester's waterfront development during the first half of the 19th century including the construction of the Pavilion Hotel-the large building wrapped in porches on the left side of this painting--which was Gloucester's first tourist hotel. Mason's granddaughter, Cassie Mason (Myers) James, gave the painting to the City of Gloucester in 1913, a visible symbol of her family's connections to this community.