Nipped in the Ice
1868–94
Medium
Hand-colored lithograph
Dimensions
Image: 8 11/16 × 13 7/16 in. (22 × 34.1 cm) Sheet: 13 9/16 × 17 11/16 in. (34.4 × 45 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Adele S. Colgate, 1962
Accession Number
63.550.407
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Nipped in the Ice," a hand-colored lithograph by the prolific American firm Currier & Ives, captures the perilous drama of maritime life in the late 19th century. Produced between 1868 and 1894, this print depicts ships trapped amid towering ice floes, with human figures likely scrambling to safety—a vivid portrayal of the hazards faced by sailors during winter voyages or polar explorations. Currier & Ives, founded in 1835 by Nathaniel Currier and later joined by James Merritt Ives, specialized in affordable, mass-produced images that brought scenes of American adventure and everyday heroism ...