The Wreck

Harrington Fitzgerald, The Wreck, 1901, oil on wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1913.6.1
Copied Harrington Fitzgerald, The Wreck, 1901, oil on wood, 26 3441 in. (68.1104.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1913.6.1
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Artwork Details

Title
The Wreck
Date
1901
Dimensions
26 3441 in. (68.1104.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on wood
Classifications
Keywords
  • Waterscape — boat
  • Waterscape — sea
  • Disaster — shipwreck
  • Waterscape — weather — storm
Object Number
1913.6.1

Artwork Description

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.