Claus Hoie’s Watercolors exploring the history of whaling are now on display
An exhibition of watercolors by the acclaimed painter Claus Hoie is now on display at Clinton Academy through the summer. Formerly housed at the East Hampton Town Marine Museum, the exhibition highlights Long Island’s role in the whaling industry. Many of the works incorporate accounts from actual logbooks and journals maintained by 19th-century whalers.
Born in 1911, in Stavanger, Norway, Claus Hoie emigrated with his family to Brooklyn, New York, at the age of 13. He studied art at the Pratt Institute and the Art Students League in New York. During World War II, Hoie served as a sergeant in the 99th Infantry Battalion, a special Norwegian-American Unit whose mission was to assist in the liberation of Norway. During the war, he developed his artistic style through watercolor paintings depicting the mountain troops. After the war, Hoie continued his studies at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris.
Hoie and his wife, fellow artist Helen Hoie, moved to Hook Pond Lane in East Hampton in the 1960s. There, his work became increasingly influenced by the sea, focusing on watercolors and marine life. His connection to the ocean, however, began long before his move to East Hampton, as he spent time at sea with his grandfather and father, both of whom were ship captains.
Claus Hoie’s watercolors are on display in the gallery at the Clinton Academy, 151 Main Street in East Hampton from Monday through Friday from 11 AM to 4 PM.
By Chloe Cairns