Seascape Fantasy
Unknown Artist
1770–1800
Medium
Oil on wood
Dimensions
17 1/2 x 35 1/2 in. (43.7 x 89.4 cm)
Classification
Painting
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1972
Accession Number
1972.263.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
"Seascape Fantasy," an enchanting oil painting on wood from 1770–1800, captures the imagination of late 18th-century American life. This anonymous American work, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, depicts a fantastical seascape alive with boats and ships navigating turbulent waters. Measuring 17½ x 35½ inches, its elongated horizontal format evokes the vastness of the ocean, drawing viewers into a dreamlike horizon where vessels dance amid waves and skies. Painted in oil on wood—a practical medium favored by itinerant folk artists for its portability and durability—this pi...