The Coast of Dorset

Resident in England from 1856 to 1863, Jasper Francis Cropsey was nurtured by painting trends there as well as by the blossoming school of American landscapists, especially the dramatic vistas of Thomas Cole. Cropsey spent the summer and fall of 1857 in Lulworth, a resort on the Dorset coast. Surrounded by high chalk cliffs, Lulworth’s circular bay offered dramatic boulders and restless surf. The drawings and paintings Cropsey made of this rugged coastline render the sublimity of nature, but with a high level of geological detail. This clarity and accuracy of depiction would remain a signature of Cropsey’s style, distinguishing him from Tonalists such as George Inness who were more concerned with overall mood and subjective expression.