Francis Augustus Silva (October 4, 1835 – March 31, 1886)[1] was an American Luminist painter of the Hudson River School.

[2] His specialty was marine scenes, particularly of the Atlantic coast,[3] a genre in which he masterfully captured the subtle gradations of light in the coastal atmosphere.

[4]:316 In 1861 he joined the New York State Militia's Seventh Infantry Regiment and fought in the Civil War, reaching the rank of captain.

Due to a bout of illness, he was mistakenly dishonorably discharged for desertion, but this was reversed three years later, allowing him to re-enlist and serve as a military hospital steward.

On occasion he would travel along the Hudson River to find material for his paintings.