Milton Avery was known for his seascapes - the art critic Clement Greenberg wrote that "I do see him far more often at his highest, broadest, [and] strongest in his landscapes and seascapes." In the late 1950s Avery spent his summers on the East Coast in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The large, colourful works Avery painted during these years were often based on 8.5 x 11 or 14 x 17 in. sketches done en plein air in Provincetown.

Misty Morning is one of these drawings, and was most likely completed ca. 1957-1960. It captures the cool, serene feeling of an early spring morning and has the immediacy of a study done from life. Avery's peer Mark Rothko wrote that "he always had that naturalness, that exactness."

A work matching the title and size of this work is listed in a consignment sheet from the Avery trust to Lunn Gallery, Washington, D.C.