Boston Artists

In 1630, the British colonized the Shawmut peninsula, originally the home of the Massachusett people, and renamed it Boston. With its protected harbor, it quickly became a wealthy center of transatlantic trade and commerce, able to support the production of art in a wide variety of media. Talented craftsmen worked in wood and silver, while painters captured the likenesses of local elites. Educational opportunities in the arts increased as the city grew; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and its school were founded in 1870 with the goals of making fine art available for the benefit of the public and offering instruction to all. This tour offers a small sampling of the range and quality of the paintings and decorative arts made in Boston through the mid-20th century.