Lot 24: Paul Rafferty (b. 1965)

Paul Rafferty (b. 1965)
Sunset over Herter Bridge
signed 'Rafferty' (lower right)
oil on canvas
48 x 59¾ in. (121.9 x 151.8 cm.)
Painted in 2009.

Largely self taught, Paul Rafferty developed his skills through life studies and copying the work of English and American masters. Drawn to locations with striking, emotive light, he splits his time between Long Island, New York, California and the south of France. He paints much of his work on location in oil, seeking to continue the tradition of plein air painting. Sunset Over Herter Bridge demonstrates Rafferty's incorporation of the influence of 19th and 20th century masters into his own, unique and expressive style. He uses vigorous, energetic brushwork to capture the brilliant, final rays of sunlight and its effect on the water and landscape that surround the bridge, which is in Sag Harbor, Long Island. Rafferty said of this area, "Capturing the light of the East End is a challenge, and the landscapes are so horizontal. Being a peninsula, surrounded by sea water, makes the light magical...it has a special color." (as quoted in Grenning Gallery, Rafferty: Latest Works, Sag Harbor, New York, n.p.)