(2017)
Ross E. Moffett (1888-1971).
Ross Moffett, whose beautifully understated representational landscapes of Provincetown helped chronicle and define the ambiance of the town in the 20th century, moved to the Cape in 1913 and remained until his death. He and his wife, the painter Dorothy Lake Gregory (1893-1975), lived at 296A Commercial Street, now the Moffett House Inn B&B. Moffett was the subject of a deeply researched monograph, Figures in a Landscape, by Josephine Del Deo. His own account of the art scene and the Provincetown Art Association, Art in Narrow Streets, can still be found in local bookstores. Moffett’s most important and enduring role was in the campaign to create the Cape Cod National Seashore in the late ’50s and early ’60s. After Hawthorne — perhaps even ahead of him — Moffett might be counted as the most important of the Provincetown artists; not because of his painting alone (though his work, often evocative of Thomas Hart Benton, has informed our idea of the town’s nature) but because of his civic commitment.
¶ Last updated on 15 July 2017.
Provincetown’s Historical Cemeteries and Memorials, Key A-67, Page 18.