Naufrage (Shipwreck), in Livre Nouveau de Douze Morceaux de Fantaisie (New Book of Twelve Works of Fantasy)
18th century
Classification
landscapes
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-327-24
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This intriguing work, titled *Naufrage* (wreck), belongs to Jacques de Lajo’s *Livre Nouveau deze Morceaux de Fantaisie* (New Book of Works of Fantasy). The French artist (1687–1761 created it during the 18th as one of a series of imaginative compositions. Classified as a landscape it draws viewers into a dramatic scene that reflects the period’s taste for inventive and emotionally charged depictions of nature. The title and its place within a book of twelve fantasy pieces suggest a vivid portrayal of a maritime disaster, a theme that allowed 18th-century artists to explore the power of the s...