The Wreck
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist
Accession Number
1913.6.1
Tags
shipwreckboatseastorm
About this artwork
The Wreck shows a lifeboat pulling away from a sinking ship, with a storm approaching from the left. Although steamships in the nineteenth century made sea travel more predictable, the sheer power and vastness of the ocean remained a source of fascination for many artists. This piece evokes adventure and danger as the men struggle to escape the doomed ship.