In the late 1940s, George Tooker drew on his memories of growing up on the South Shore of Long Island for a small group of beach paintings. Divers showcases the beach of Tooker's youth with its sun-soaked palette, where the summer heat radiates off of everything from the zig-zagging pier on the right to the artist's teenage self-portrait. The angles of the figures, from the divers at center to young Tooker not quite within the ladder frame, reflect the joy and awkwardness of adolescence. Long Island has long been a vacation spot for New Yorkers seeking to escape the hustle-and-bustle of the City. While illustrations of easily-accessible locales like Coney Island and Fire Island appeared in popular magazines as early as the mid-1800s, many of the more distant areas remained hidden from the masses, gems for locals like Tooker to enjoy all summer long.