“Scarcely a tree or shrub shades the solitary spot and the barren wave-washed strand presents the appearance of supreme desolation. Treated by a less skilled hand, the scene would be tiresome, monotonous, and lacking in interest. Instead, it bears the stamp of originality and is imbued with a strong poetic sentiment.”¹ —A. De Montaigu on Mary Nimmo Moran’s Point Isabel, Florida

Mary Nimmo Moran completed Point Isabel, Florida during her second visit to the state.² With an eye for creating a striking composition, the artist used the sweeping line of the beach path to lead the viewer around the dune and back to a vast expanse of water in the distance. The strong horizontal lines that define the waterway direct the viewer back to the beach. Although the dune is sparsely populated with plant life, the artist highlighted it by providing detailed renderings of the palms and scrub. Nimmo Moran was attentive to portraying botanicals with accuracy in her etchings, yet the details seldom overwhelm or distract from the overall composition. Rather, they create visual interest, encouraging viewers to linger and explore the scene at their leisure.

—Sandra Pauly, Henry Luce Foundation Curatorial Scholar for Moran Collection Research, 2021

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¹ De Montaigu, “A Pen Picture of Mary Nimmo Moran,” 6.
² Point Isabel is located on Florida’s Fort George Island, which is twenty-five miles north of Jacksonville. Nimmo Moran first traveled to Florida in February 1877 with her husband, artist Thomas Moran (1837–1926), who was on assignment for Scribner’s Monthly; the couple returned in 1887 and 1891. See Anderson et al., Thomas Moran, 252; and Morand, Thomas Morand: The Field Sketches, 77; and Morand and Friese, Prints of Nature, 4–5. Gilcrease’s collection of artworks created by the couple includes more than thirty-five drawings, watercolors, and etchings inspired by their visits to the state, most notably Fort George Island (02.792) and St. Johns River, Florida (14.652) by Thomas Moran and Evening on the St. Johns River, Florida (14.93g) by Mary Nimmo Moran.