Ship Study (from Sketchbook X)
Medium
Graphite on off-white wove paper
Dimensions
5 x 7 1/2 in. (12.7 x 19.1 cm)
Classification
Drawing
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Gifts in memory of Stephen D. Rubin, 1992
Accession Number
1992.2.2a
Tags
Art Historical Context
William Trost Richards, a 19th-century American associated with the Hudson River School created this intimate *Ship Study (from Sketchbook X)* in 1885. Rendered in graphite on off-white w paper, the small 5 x 7 1/2-inch sheet captures a vessel with precise lines and subtle shading, showcasing Richards' meticulous draftsmanship. As part of a sketchbook series, it reflects his practice of on-site observations, often made during coastal sketching trips along the Northeast seaboard. Richards was renowned for his luminous marine paintings and watercolors, where ships symbolized America's maritime ...
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...