Shipwreck near a Rocky Coast
Thomas Birch
1833
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
51.4 × 76.8 cm (20 1/4 × 30 1/4 in.)
Classification
painting
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
244013
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Based in Philadelphia, Thomas Birch was a leading marine painter who helped establish the genre in early 19th-century America. Shipwreck near a Rocky Coast is a romantic, imaginative composition that highlights human struggle against the forces of nature: the ship’s sails are torn, its masts lean to one side, and a tiny group of seafarers attempts to flee the disaster. Birch rendered the scene in dramatic detail, yet left the narrative unresolved.
About the Artist
Thomas Birch · 1779–1851
Comment on works: seascape