In the museum catalogue
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Shipwreck near a Rocky Coast
Thomas Birch1833
- Attribution
- Thomas Birch American, born England, 1779–1851
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Physical dimensions
- 51.4 × 76.8 cm (20 1/4 × 30 1/4 in.)
- Credit line
- Gift of the family of Richard H. Daniel
CATALOGUE RECORD
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Source rights statement: Public domain
View the museum record ↗From the museum
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.
Description: Art Institute of Chicago · CC BY 4.0