If a more storied port that Newport, Rhode Island exists on the American seaboard, it will have a tough time proving it. Even the vaunted ports of New York and San Francisco pale to match the activities of Newport in terms of historic longevity and sheer variety of use. History records its establishment in 1639 when Warren Coddington set out from Portsmouth to start his own settlement. Provincetown artist Reynolds Beal shows the harbor's mature grandeur and diversity in the remarkable impressionist painting, with its view of the harbor from the Warwick Headland breakwater.
Superb with his trademark colorful vibrancy, Beal shows a turn-of-the-century square-rigged sailing ship accompanied by several sailing yachts and a schooner running upon the water. The foreground rolling waves meet the natural breakers to elevate the work. An expanse of cumulus clouds complete the imagery of this vast vista.
Landmarks confirm the location of this work combined with the unique visual geography. The dominant structure is Fort Adams, located on the Brenton Cove Peninsula. The fort is one of the largest seacoast fortifications on the east coast, covering more than 23 acres. Built in the 1820s, the main battery housed the U.S. Naval Academy during the Civil War. Under its protective presence, six yacht clubs operate in the harbor, including the Newport Yacht Club, the New York Yacht Club, the U.S. Naval Yacht Club and the Ida Lewis Yacht Club, named after the harbor's famed lifesaver of lime rock lighthouse.
