On the Coast of New Jersey
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 102.24 × 183.52 cm (40 1/4 × 72 1/4 in.) framed: 146.05 × 227.33 × 12.38 cm (57 1/2 × 89 1/2 × 4 7/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CAB
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase, Gallery Fund)
Accession Number
2015.19.119
Art Historical Context
### On the Coast of New JerseyStep into the rugged beauty of the American shoreline with William Trost Richards *On the Coast of New Jersey (1883), a oil on canvas measuring over 40 by 72 inches. This painting captures the wild Jersey coast in intricate detail, showcasing Richards' mastery of Luminism—a 19th-century American style emphasizing luminous light effects, precise brushwork, and atmospheric depth. As a leading figure in the Hudson River tradition, Richards drew from his deep love of nature, often sketching directly from coastal sites to render crashing waves, rocky outcrops, and expa...
About the Artist
William Trost Richards · 1833–1905
William Trost Richards (1833–1905) was a prominent American landscape and marine painter born in Philadelphia, where he attended Central High School before beginning his artistic training. Between 1850 and 1855, he studied part-time under the German-born Hudson River School artist Paul Weber while working as a designer and illustrator of ornamental metalwork. He exhibited his first works at the Pe...