Motif Number 1

Motif Number 1, located on Bradley Wharf in the harbor town of Rockport, Massachusetts, is a replica of a former fishing shack well known to students of art and art history as "the most often-painted building in America."[1][2] The original structure was built in 1840 and destroyed in the Blizzard of 1978,[1] but an exact replica was constructed that same year.[3]

Motif Number 1 in July 2009

Built in the 1840s as Rockport was becoming home to a colony of artists and settlement of fishermen, the shack became a favorite subject of painters due to the composition and lighting of its location as well as being a symbol of New England maritime life. Painter Lester Hornby (1882–1956) is believed to be the first to call the shack "Motif Number 1,"[2] a reference to its being the favorite subject of the town's painters, and the name achieved general acceptance.

In the 1930s, painter John Buckley used the shack as his studio.[4] He sold it to the town in 1945, dedicated "In 1945, the town of Rockport purchased the Motif as a monument to Rockporters who had served in the Armed Services."[5] The town, recognizing its iconic value, has taken pains to preserve both its structure and appearance, finding a red paint which appears weather-beaten even when new,[3] and keeping the area clear of overhead wires, traffic signs and advertising.

Apart from countless artists renderings, Motif Number 1 has appeared in other cultural media:

  • Finding Nemo: The dentist's office in the popular animated film has a picture of Motif Number 1 hanging on the wall, a tribute by director Andrew Stanton to his hometown of Rockport.
  • Disney's The Proposal utilized Rockport Harbor and adjacent Bearskin Neck to represent Sitka, Alaska. The Motif was slightly altered with a large "SITKA" sign which sported an Orca painted in native Northwest art style.
gollark: https://tenor.com/view/nicholas-nicholascage-bees-bite-gif-4944634
gollark: Tux1 be like: bad
gollark: If there was a CONSTANT scratchy noise you would get used to it.
gollark: It's programmed to be inconsistent and thus more unnerving.
gollark: Not really the point. If you *can* distinguish them that's just an imperfect speaker.

References
  1. "A look back at the Blizzard of 1978". Boston.com
  2. Vincent, Caitlin. (2007). Roadtripping USA: The Complete Coast-to-Coast Guide to America. Macmillan. ISBN 0-312-36182-3
  3. Harris, Patricia and Lyon, David. (2006). You Know You're in Massachusetts When...: 101 Quintessential Places, People, Events, Customs, Lingo, and Eats of the Bay State. Globe Pequot. ISBN 0-7627-4132-5
  4. "The Literary Life". Time Magazine, 1942.
  5. Bartlett, Leslie. (2002). Motif No.1: The Little Fish Shack Which Refused to Go Away Archived 2009-05-23 at the Wayback Machine.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.