Beacon Rock, Newport Harbor

John Frederick Kensett

1857 · Oil on canvas · National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC

Size2:3 ratio

Frame

$59Unframed print · made to order

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Complete the setHangs well with these two

This print

Beacon Rock, Newport Harbor

Lake George

The Harbor at Lorient

3 × $59 at 16 × 24 in, unframed = $177 → $159.30 as a set · 10% included · free shipping

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Giclée-printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper

Ships worldwide in 3–6 business days after production

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free

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About this work

Artist: John Frederick Kensett (1816–1872)
Year: 1857
Medium: Oil on canvas
Original size: 57.2 × 91.4 cm
Collection: National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
Movement: Hudson River School

Across a cove in Newport Harbor the great mass of Beacon Rock fills the right of the picture and Fort Adams lies low on the left; sailboats slide across the calm water, small waves lap the foreground shore and a lone fisherman stands on a rock at the water's edge. Kensett began visiting Newport, Rhode Island, in 1854 and from the mid-1850s turned from mountain and woodland scenes to coastal views like this one, trading the drama of Thomas Cole for muted colour, careful light and simplified, balanced compositions. Painted in 1857, Beacon Rock is remarkable for its sense of stillness: everyday life seems transfixed, held in place by the precise brushwork. It was probably painted for the New York collector Jonathan Sturges and descended in his family until his grandson gave it to the National Gallery of Art in Washington in 1953.

This exhibition-poster edition shows the whole work beneath original typography set in-house. The original is in the public domain.

Where it works

A great rock across calm water with sailboats and a lone fisherman, held in stillness, for a bathroom, bedroom or coastal hallway at 16×24 or 24×36 in oak or black. A white, pale blue or soft grey wall; it suits a seaside house.

Style: Exhibition poster of a Hudson River School painting
Era: 19th century (1857)
Orientation: Portrait
Palette: cream & beige
Mood: dramatic, moody
Rooms: living room, dining room, dorm room, hallway or entryway
Good gift for: housewarming, art lovers

Size. Prints at 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in — 12×18 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 16×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway; 24×36 as the statement piece above a sofa or bed.

Framing. Exhibition posters sit best in a slim black frame with no mat — the typeset margin is the mat.

Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).

Details & materials

• Exhibition poster — original, drawn in-house • Heavyweight matte fine-art paper, giclée printed at 300 DPI • Sizes: 12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in; 12×18 and 16×24 and 24×36 also available framed in black or natural wood • Made to order; colours may vary slightly from screen

Shipping & returns

Produced in 2–4 business days, then shipped from the facility nearest you. Delivery is typically 3–6 business days (US/UK/EU) and 5–12 worldwide. Because each print is made to order we don't take change-of-mind returns, but if it arrives damaged or flawed we'll reprint or refund it — no return needed. Full policy →

Is this the whole painting, or a crop?

The whole work, uncropped. The exhibition-poster edition sets the complete image above typography designed in-house.

Is Beacon Rock, Newport Harbor in the public domain?

Yes. John Frederick Kensett (1816–1872) died more than 70 years ago and the work was published before 1929, so the painting itself is public domain. This print is a reproduction made from a high-resolution scan of the original, which is held by National Gallery of Art.

What is it printed on?

Heavyweight matte fine-art paper with pigment inks, made to order in 12×18, 16×24 and 24×36 inches; the two larger sizes are also offered framed. Colours are matched to the scan, not brightened.

When was Beacon Rock, Newport Harbor painted, and in what medium?

Beacon Rock, Newport Harbor dates from 1857 and was made in oil on canvas; the original measures 57.2 × 91.4 cm.

What size works above a sofa or bed?

For a standard three-seat sofa or a queen bed, 24×36 inches reads as a single statement piece; 16×24 suits a narrower wall or a pairing. The print's proportions follow the original, so a landscape-format painting is wider than it is tall.

About this design

A museum-exhibition poster of John Frederick Kensett's Beacon Rock, Newport Harbor — Beacon Rock, Newport Harbor — a rocky headland and sailboats on a glassy bay in afternoon light — shown whole and uncropped beneath gallery typography. Luminism: Light on Still Water, styled as a blockbuster exhibition print. A gallery-style exhibition poster: a celebrated public-domain artwork shown whole and uncropped beneath original exhibition typography set in-house — printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper. Three sizes (12×18, 16×24, 24×36 in); the 16×24 and 24×36 are also offered framed. Part of the Madten Exhibition Posters Collection. — — — Printed to order and shipped by our production partner, Gelato.

Buy with confidence

The Madten promise

Gallery-grade archival giclée. Rich pigment inks on heavyweight fine-art paper (or gallery-wrapped canvas) — built to last, not a poster-shop print.

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free. Every piece is made to order; if it shows up damaged or flawed we remake it, no return needed.

Free worldwide shipping. Made & shipped from the facility nearest you — most orders arrive in ~4–8 business days.

Secure checkout. Payments handled by Stripe; we never see or store your card.

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