Local Artist Paints Scene of Rockport—Critics Call It ‘A Little Too Motif #1’

ROCKPORT, MA—Local artist Daniel Whitaker unveiled his latest oil painting this week to mixed reviews, as critics and art enthusiasts alike responded with what has now become a standard refrain in the Rockport art scene: “It’s nice, but it’s just… a little too Motif #1.”

The painting, titled Tranquil Afternoon in Rockport, features a carefully composed coastal scene depicting a charming red fishing shack, a few boats bobbing in the water, and a sky awash in pastel hues. Unfortunately for Whitaker, the subject of his painting happens to be the most painted and photographed building in America, an artistic muse so thoroughly captured that some residents believe it may now exist solely as a test of how many different ways one can hold a paintbrush.

“I was really hoping to bring something fresh and new to Rockport’s artistic landscape,” said Whitaker, 43, standing in his studio surrounded by no fewer than a dozen nearly identical paintings of the exact same shack. “I tried to add my own style to it, you know? Play with the lighting, shift the perspective a little. But I guess people just think it looks like every other painting of Motif #1.”

The painting, which was proudly displayed at a local gallery for precisely four hours before being replaced with yet another nearly identical painting of the same shack, received feedback ranging from “Technically strong, but painfully familiar” to “Didn’t I buy this exact painting last summer?”

Longtime art collector Susan Hastings, 67, was one of the first to view the piece and voiced her skepticism. “It’s well done, sure, but at the end of the day, it’s still just Motif #1. I mean, at a certain point, we have to ask—has Motif #1 been painted too many times? Can we, as a people, move on?”

Despite Hastings’ concerns, local galleries continue to sell Motif #1 paintings at an alarming rate, with sources confirming that the Rockport economy would “absolutely collapse” if artists ever stopped painting it. “I mean, look around—this shack is 85% of our tourism revenue,” said gallery owner Mark Trask. “Without it, what are we selling? Paintings of the gas station? A scenic interpretation of the Cumberland Farms parking lot? Let’s be realistic.”

Whitaker, however, remains hopeful that his interpretation will stand out in some way. “I tried to incorporate a bit of artistic symbolism. For example, the shack’s reflection in the water is slightly distorted, representing the passage of time and the impermanence of human experience,” he explained. “And I used a slightly different shade of red than most artists.”

At press time, Whitaker was reportedly brainstorming his next project, which he promised would be “something totally different.” Early sketches suggest he is currently considering a bold new subject: Motif #1 in the winter.