Silva evolved
from a self-taught artist, to one with a remarkably skillful
technique and a repertoire of marine subjects and atmospheric
effects. He became known for exaggerating and intensifying natural
effects of light and air for poetic purposes. His subtle
manipulation of light and atmosphere was an aesthetic device that
transcended naturalism and became an almost abstract means of
expressing sentiment. Silva became known as one of the leaders in
the American Luminist movement.
