Bernard Chaet

1924 - 2012

The themes of light and Cape Ann's unique rock shapes have become, it seems, my primary focus.

You ask which artists who worked on Cape Ann attracted me here. It was Stuart Davis' early and diagrammatic paintings (especially of Bass Rocks) plus Marsden Hartley's Dogtown motifs and of course Avery's fluid efforts.

—1998 interview with the artist

Boston native Chaet has himself influenced many artists. He began teaching at Yale University's Department of Painting in 1951 and was William Leffington Professor of Painting from 1979 until his retirement in 1990. His 1970 book, The Art of Drawing, is a classic text. He has received numerous awards and had important solo and group exhibitions. His work is included in museum, university, corporate and private collections.

Chaet began to spend summers on Cape Ann in the early 1950s. After his retirement from Yale, his time here increased to six months of the year, and his focus on landscape deepened.