Michael Keane was a preeminent marine artist renowned for his masterful oil paintings depicting iconic sailing vessels of a by-gone era. With inspiration drawn from the sea, Keane’s work is a celebration of sailboats in motion, majestic yachts with sails set. Whether portraying the delight of a pleasure cruise, the excitement of a regatta, or the tranquility of a mid-summer beach scene, Keane’s compositions emphasize both the joy of being out on the open sea and the beauty of nature. The artist’s personal affection for sailing and coastal living was expressed through his paintings, lending them an emotional charge.Keane expressed his creative inclinations as early as the age of four. As a young man, after nearly a decade of study with his first painting instructor, Keane came under the tutelage of Marshall W. Joyce, a marine painter with an established reputation. Sharing a waterfront loft studio space, the two men collaborated closely. During this time he studied portrait and figure painting with a well-known New York portrait artist grounded in classical oil painting. These studies were to have a profound effect on Keane’s work–the loving detail with which his boats are rendered elevates each painting to the level of portraiture. His work has also been strongly influenced by his boat building skills and many years of work as a boat builder.Until his death, Keane was featured on Nantucket with a one-person exhibitions for over 25 consecutive years. His work has retained its value and remains highly sought after by an elite group of marine art collectors.