The former director of the Portland Museum of Art is returning to the museum as a visiting scholar. Daniel E. O’Leary will spend two weeks at the Winslow Homer Studio at Prouts Neck in Scarborough to research a book about Homer and his work in Maine.

With his research, O’Leary hopes to demonstrate the influence of Prouts Neck and adjacent Cliff Walk in Homer’s work. O’Leary will identify the seascapes Homer painted that can be linked to specific locations.

“Homer’s work could not have evolved and triumphed without this extraordinary site,” O’Leary said in a press release. “I will particularly value the chance to explore Homer’s beloved Cliff Walk and trace the exact locations recorded in his paintings.”

O’Leary, who has a doctorate in art history, directed the PMA from 1993 to 2006 and began the museum’s effort to acquire and restore the studio, as well as build an endowment to preserve its future.

He is currently CEO of the Quimby Family Foundation in Portland.