Soft Glides the Sea, Bounding and Free
1837
Medium
Lithograph on cream wove paper
Dimensions
31.8 × 23.9 cm (12 9/16 × 9 7/16 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
129596
Art Historical Context
In the serene lithograph *Soft Glides the Sea Bounding and Free* (1837), Scottish-born marine artist Robert Salmon captures the poetic grace of the ocean with his signature precision. Working primarily in Boston during the early 19th century, was renowned for his detailed ship portraits and luminous seascapes, blending European Romanticism with emerging American Luminist tendencies—characterized by glowing light effects and atmospheric clarity. This print, measuring 31.8 × 23.9 cm, evokes the boundless freedom of sail-era maritime life, likely inspired by the bustling ports Salmon frequented. ...