The Ship "Macon"
1828–35
Medium
Watercolor, gouache, gold paint, graphite, pen and black ink, and gum arabic on off-white Bristol board
Dimensions
18 15/16 x 25 5/16 in. (48.1 x 64.3 cm)
Classification
Watercolor
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1966
Accession Number
66.242.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
Welcome to The American Wing, where *The Ship "Macon by Nivelet (1828–35) captures the grandeur of early 19th-century American seafaring. This detailed ship portrait showcases the vessel *Macon*, likely a merchant or packet ship emblematic of the era's booming trade routes between America and Europe. Created during a time when U.S. maritime commerce fueled economic growth post-War of 1812, such works celebrated national pride in shipbuilding innovation and speed. Nivelet's masterful use of mixed media—watercolor, gouache, gold paint, graphite, pen and black ink, and gum arabic on off-white Br...