The Harbor
ca. 1943
Medium
Oil on wood
Dimensions
34 3/4 x 53 1/4 in. (88.3 x 135.3 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
Modern and Contemporary Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Pennsylvania W. P. A., 1943
Accession Number
43.46.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Josef Presser's *The Harbor* (ca. 1943) invites visitors into a vivid maritime scene, capturing the quiet energy of boats bobbing in a bustling port. This large-scale oil painting on wood, measuring nearly 35 by 53 inches, showcases Presser's skill in rendering everyday American life with a modern sensibility. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Department of Modern and Contemporary Art it evokes the timeless rhythm of harbors—hubs of commerce, travel, and community. Created during World War II as part of the Pennsylvania Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.), the work was a gift to the...