A View from the Vault: Henlopen Light
by Amanda Zehnder, Chief Curator and Head, Museums
This seaside scene showing a lighthouse perched on top of a dune evokes the pleasures of late summer—beach days, the approach of Labor Day and the anticipation of a new academic year.
The painting depicts the historic Cape Henlopen Lighthouse, a landmark dating back to Delaware’s colonial era. Constructed in 1767 on land provided by Thomas and William Penn, it was located on the north side of the Great Dune of what is now Cape Henlopen State Park in Sussex County, Delaware. The lighthouse was destroyed in a storm in 1926, just two years after Stanley Massey Arthurs painted this view.1
Stanley Massey Arthurs (United States, 1877-1950)
Henlopen Light, 1924 Oil on canvas
25 ½ x 30 ⅜ inches
Museums Collections, Gift of Governor John C. Townsend, Jr.
Arthurs, a Delaware-born artist and student of famed illustrator Howard Pyle, returned to the subject of the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse five different times during his career. The painting in the Museums Collections was created as part of an ill-fated effort to preserve the lighthouse. He also depicted the lighthouse in a watercolor for his book, The American Historical Scene, Deluxe Delaware Edition, published in an edition of 100 by the University of Pennsylvania Press in 1935. He included an original watercolor in each deluxe copy; the watercolor of the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse was number 34 of 100.2
A leading regional artist and renowned illustrator, Arthurs occupies an important place in Delaware’s cultural history. His work bridges fine art and illustration, both of which have strong legacies at the University of Delaware. Henlopen Light is one of twenty-three works by Arthurs held in the Museums Collections.
Thumbnail-sized images of copyrighted works are displayed under fair use. As a service to the public and the scholarly community, the Museums may make larger images of copyrighted works available in the online collection catalog. If you wish to use such images for commercial purposes, you must seek permission from the copyright holder.
“A View from the Vault” showcases some of the unique, notable or rare items that are a part of the Special Collections and Museums holdings at the University of Delaware. Each month, we highlight a different work and share interesting facts or intriguing histories about it. If you are interested in seeing any of the materials featured in person or want to learn more about any work showcased in the series, please contact Special Collections and Museums at AskSpec or AskMuseums.
1 – www.destateparks.com/shining-a-light-on-delawares-historic-southern-coast-lighthouses/
2 – Many thanks to Stanley Massey Arthurs scholar and specialist, Scott P. Riegel for his insight and research on this subject.