Alfred Thompson Bricher (1837-1908)

After his first visit to Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick, Canada, in the mid-1870s, Alfred Bricher became so enamored with the picturesque surroundings that the location served as the subject for many paintings he completed over the next thirty years. He was struck by the juxtaposition of large rocky cliffs and tranquil inlets that could be seen on the island. The area "initiated a long series of paintings of this sublime natural wonder...His first sight of this rugged island must have been an overwhelming experience...The vast unassailable cliffs along the western face looking toward the Northern Head rise 350 and 400 feet into the sky and merge with the clouds." (J. Brown, E. Lee, Alfred Thompson Bricher, exhibition catalogue, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1973, p. 21)