Life Saving Patrol

Edward Moran, Life Saving Patrol, ca. 1893, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Clara L. Tuckerman, 1925.12.3
Copied Edward Moran, Life Saving Patrol, ca. 1893, oil on canvas, overall: 36 1⁄8 x 54 1⁄2 in. (91.6 x 138.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Clara L. Tuckerman, 1925.12.3
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Life Saving Patrol
Artist
Date
ca. 1893
Location
Dimensions
overall: 36 1⁄8 x 54 1⁄2 in. (91.6 x 138.4 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of Clara L. Tuckerman
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Occupation — sport — lifeguard
  • Figure male — full length
  • Waterscape — sea
  • Animal — dog
  • Landscape — time — night
  • Landscape — celestial — moon
  • Waterscape — boat
Object Number
1925.12.3
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1925.12.3

Artwork Description

Many of Edward Moran’s paintings show powerful scenes of shipwrecks and storms that emphasize the struggle between man and nature. In Life Saving Patrol, however, the sea and the sky appear relatively calm. The dramatic scale of the lifeguard against the moonlit water suggests a balance of power between the ocean and the brave men who risk their lives to rescue its victims.