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Shipwreck near a Rocky Coast

A work made of oil on canvas.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of oil on canvas.

Date:

1833

Artist:

Thomas Birch
American, born England, 1779–1851

About this artwork

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.

Status

On View, Gallery 171

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

Thomas Birch

Title

Shipwreck near a Rocky Coast

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1833

Medium

Oil on canvas

Inscriptions

Signed at lower right: "T Birch 1833"

Dimensions

51.4 × 76.8 cm (20 1/4 × 30 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the family of Richard H. Daniel

Reference Number

2018.363

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/244013/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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