Berg's Ship Yard
1870s
Medium
Oil on slate paper
Dimensions
6 1/8 x 9 1/8 in. (15.6 x 23.2 cm)
Classification
Painting
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Edward W. C. Arnold Collection of New York Prints, Maps, and Pictures, Bequest of Edward W. C. Arnold, 1954
Accession Number
54.90.511
Tags
Art Historical Context
William P. Chappel’s *Berg’s Ship Yard* offers a vivid glimpse into New York’s bustling maritime world during the 1870s. As an American artist known for his intimate views of urban life, Chappel frequently turned his attention to the city’s working waterfronts. This compact scene depicts the lively activity of a shipyard, where human figures, horses, and boats converge in the daily rhythms of labor and commerce. Painted in oil on slate paper, the work measures just over six by nine inches, allowing Chappel to capture fine details within a portable format. The unusual support lends a smooth su...
About the Artist
William P. Chappel · 1801–1878
American, 1801–1878