The Coast & the Sea: Marine and Maritime Art in America

Organized by the New-York Historical Society

View of a SeaportArtist: Unidentified Artist ca 1760Oil on canvas; 27 x 48 in. New York Historical Society. 1855.1. Gift of John MacGregor

Cleveley was a British marine painter whose view of a small port city is thought to be an image of Harwich in Essex, on the east coast of England. The artist situated his carefully detailed harbor view, shipyard, and sailing vessels within a convincing envelope of coastal weather conditions. These visual conventions had been largely invented in seventeenth-century Holland. Dutch maritime masters in turn founded a British school of marine painting whose influence would be transmitted to England’s colonies in North America.

Marine ViewArtist: Thomas Birch 1835Oil on canvas; 3/4 × 25 × 36 in. New York Historical Society. 1858.13. Gift of The New York Gallery of the Fine Arts

Birch was an early nineteenth-century Philadelphia painter of seascapes. He mastered the Anglo-Dutch manner and is generally recognized as the first American marine specialist. This gifted painter deftly amalgamated the atmospherics and marine vistas identified with marine painting and the attention to nautical detail associated with the maritime tradition. His masterful and romantic "Marine View" demonstrates these skills. The sweeping seascape in the distance under a convincing sky and a foreground is populated by carefully rendered nautical types and maritime paraphernalia.

Elisha Kent Kane, M.D. (1820-1857)Artist: Thomas Hicks 1858Oil on canvas; 42 x 51 in. New York Historical Society. 1859.1. Gift of several ladies of New York

The Northwest Passage, a series of Arctic waterways connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, was sought for centuries by European and American explorers as a possible trade route to Asia. In the 1850s Elisha Kent Kane, a Philadelphia naval surgeon, joined two American Arctic expeditions searching for the British exploring party of Sir John Franklin that had disappeared in 1845. His best-selling memoirs about those perilous expeditions made him a hero, and his premature death in 1857 was widely mourned. This memorial portrait portrays Kane as a thoughtful figure seated before a twilit ocean view. The anchored ship and a globe refer to far-flung voyages, while the table covered with books, charts, and documents signifies Kane’s role as official historian of the expedition.

Stephen Decatur (1779 1820)Artist: Rembrandt Peale c. 1815-1820Oil on canvas; 29 x 23 5/8 in. New York Historical Society. 1867.309. Gift of Thomas Jefferson Bryan

The War of 1812 expanded the Revolutionary portrait pantheon, and a new generation of American heroes joined the founding fathers and patriots of the Revolution. Portraits of naval commanders were in demand, as were paintings of their ships and battles. Rembrandt Peale, whose father, Charles Willson Peale, had portrayed the founding fathers, painted a series of naval heroes including Commodore Stephen Decatur. Peale’s romantic bust-length portrait presents the naval hero as both a dashing figure and a commanding martial presence. Gazing into the distance, resplendent in his

dress uniform, Decatur is posed in a timeless setting before a stormy sky whose dramatic clouds also evoke the smoke and turbulence of battle.

Captain John Waddell (1714-1762)Artist: John Wollastonc. 1750Oil on canvas; 36 × 28 in.New York Historical Society. 1891.2. Gift of Edmund B.

Southwick

Captain Waddell gazes confidently out of his dignified portrait by Wollaston, a London-trained artist who arrived in 1749 to paint the wealthy merchants of New York. Portrayed at home, bewigged and elegantly dressed, Waddell shares the foreground of his portrait with a large globe toward which he gestures, calling our attention to the far-flung voyages of the ships he had built and owned. His right index finger points to the eastern seaboard of North America. Settling in New York in 1736, he married, prospered, and founded a merchant dynasty in the thriving colonial outpost.

David Abeel (1763-1840)Artist: Unidentified Artistc. 1795-1800Oil on canvas; 30 x 25 in. New York Historical Society. 1896.53. Gift of George Abeel

Two lively portraits painted around 1800 by unknown artists of modest training portray seafaring American citizens. David Abeel had served as a midshipman on the frigate "Alliance" during the Revolutionary War and

later became captain of a merchant vessel. Abeel is shown before a view of the open sea wearing the dark blue coat with gold buttons typical of a ship’s officer. He holds dividers in his right hand while unrolling a chart with his left, as if plotting a course. Behind him sails a three-masted vessel flying an American flag and commissioning pennants.

A marine view and nautical attributes served another unidentified artist as the proper setting to record the handsome features of a young man said to be Captain David Bush, who served in the War of 1812. He wields a

mariner’s telescope, or spyglass, while posing before a sprightly seascape to signal maritime enterprises.

Preserved Fish (1766 - 1846)Artist: Unidentified Artistc. 1830Oil on canvas; 41 1/4 × 33 1/4 in. New York Historical Society. 1900.4. Gift of the

Tradesmen's Bank of New York

True to his name, Preserved Fish, who was descended from early New Englanders, found his career on the sea, a memoir of which is included in this attractive, although unattributed portrait of the gray-haired gentleman. By age twenty-one, he had been master of his own whaling ship and soon after established a successful whale oil business in New Bedford, Massachusetts. By 1815 Fish had relocated and was well established as a leading merchant in New York City. He is portrayed seated in a handsomely furnished chamber with the implements of his trade. Holding a telescope with which to watch his many ships coming into New York Harbor, Fish rests his left hand on a marine chart. Through the window is a maritime vista of two ships in pursuit of a spouting whale, a testimonial to the original source of his wealth.

A Southeast Prospect of the City of New YorkArtist: Unidentified Artistc. 1756 - 1761Oil on canvas, lined to fiberglass; 38 x 72 1/2 in.

New York Historical Society. 1904.1. Gift of Cornelia LeRoy White, in the name of Goldsborough Banyer

"A Southeast Prospect" charts the setting of New York City’s waterfront as well as the busy shipping on the East River. Landmarks include the Battery at the far left and Trinity Church in the center. Tiny figures populate the city and vessels. Most exciting are the magnificent ships anchored in the East River; their presence signals international enterprise as well as the naval might that secured the colonial outpost of New York as part of the British Empire. The bold display of flags and banners flown by this armada also alerts us to the symbolic power of these ships as compelling images of military strength, mercantile prowess, and national patrimony.

Escape of the U.S. Frigate “Constitution,” July 1812Artist: Thomas Birch1838Oil on canvas; 25 1/8 x 35 3/4 in. New York Historical Society. 1908.5. Bequest of

Matilda Wolfe Bruce

The American demand for naval images from the War of 1812 would secure Birch’s reputation as the first homegrown marine specialist. His mastery of the Anglo-Dutch marine tradition was demonstrated in spirited portrayals of successful American naval engagements such as the daring escape of the USS "Constitution" from the British fleet early in the War of 1812. One of the original six frigates that formed the United States Navy and named by George Washington, the "Constitution" encountered a British squadron, which gave chase off the coast of New Jersey. With skillful seamanship, Captain Isaac Hull kept the "Constitution" (seen at the left) ahead of the British for two days, even towing his ship after the breeze died down and eventually escaping with a favorable wind. The "Constitution’s" later battles earned her the nickname “Old Ironsides.”

View from Hyde Park on the Hudson RiverArtist: Victor de Graillyc. 1845Oil on canvas; 21 1/4 x 28 3/4 in. New York Historical Society. 1923.5. Museum Purchase

Hyde Park, north of Poughkeepsie, draws its name from one of the riverside estates originally named in honor of Sir Edward Hyde, a royal governor of New York. De Grailly’s picturesque composition, also based on "American Scenery", emphasizes the breadth of the river and the park-like promenade in the foreground and suppresses any sense of the Hudson as a commercial artery. This is in keeping with Hyde Park’s long history as an elegant preserve for the country houses of New York’s oldest elite families. Today, the village is still an important destination as the home of the Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site.

Kosciuszko's Monument, West PointArtist: Victor de Graillyc. 1845Oil on canvas; 23 1/4 x 28 3/4 in. New York Historical Society. 1923.6. Museum Purchase

The Hudson Highlands are the most dramatic passage in the river’s course, forming spectacular vistas that also evoked historical associations. The United States Military Academy at West Point is on the west side, as are the ruins of Fort Putnam, a relic of the Revolutionary War. West Point is still a popular touring destination rich with history made visible, not only in the academy’s architecture and strategic setting on a promontory above the river but also in its many monuments. This detailed view by a French artist whose paintings are based on engravings published in "American Scenery", a best-selling book of the 1840s, records the neoclassical memorial situated high above the river that was dedicated to the Polish patriot Thaddeus Kosciuszko, who served in the Revolutionary army of George Washington.

Steamboat "Cayuga"Artist: James Bard1849Oil on canvas; 29 × 49 1/8 × 1 1/8 in. New York Historical Society. 1924.113. Museum Purchase

Tourists boarded luxurious steamboats in New York City, stopping along the Hudson River at destinations known for beautiful scenery and historic sites. James Bard, originally in partnership with his twin brother, John, devoted a long and productive career to providing owners with portraits of their steamboats that plied the Hudson and coastal waters. Bard’s attention to detail and proportion was such it has been claimed that shipbuilders swore they could use these paintings to lay down the plans for these so-called floating palaces. Many vessels bore evocative names like the "Cayuga", after a New York State Indian tribe, and offered travelers the combined benefits of comfort and high speed.

Capture of HMS “Macedonian” by the U.S. Frigate “United States,” October 1812Artist: Unidentified Artistc. 1813Oil on canvas; 34 3/8 x 45 1/2 x 7/8 in. New York Historical Society. 1925.112. Gift of Naval History Society Collection

An unknown artist depended on an engraving after one of Birch’s celebrated battle subjects to record one of the most famous naval exploits of the War of 1812. Early in the war, the British frigate "Macedonian" was captured by the "United States", commanded by Captain Stephen Decatur. The ninety-minute action between the two vessels took place in the Atlantic Ocean several hundred miles west of the Canary Islands on October 25, 1812. The British prize was transported to Newport, Rhode Island, early in December 1812 and then moved to New York. The "Macedonian" was the first captured British frigate that was taken to the United States; the engagement was a cause for patriotic celebration and commemoration by Birch and others.

Engagement between the U.S. Frigate “Constitution” and HMS “Guerriere” August 1812Artist: Carlton Theodore Chapman1895Oil on canvas; 29 1/4 x 35 1/2 in. New York Historical Society. 1925.113. The Naval History Society Collection (John Sanford Barnes Foundation)

Chapman’s reputation as the Gilded Age’s “foremost painter” of historic naval vessels and warfare was secured by a commission to provide 21 paintings to illustrate naval historian James Barnes’s popular "Naval Actions of the War of 1812" (1896). The battle shown here was an important American victory early in the War of 1812. The victorious "Constitution", in profile on the horizon, approaches after the battle is over and seems wholly intact but for damaged sails. This encounter would earn the American warship the now-legendary nickname “Old Ironsides.” She towers majestically over the devastated British vessel lying in the middle ground.

An American boat approaches at the left to receive the British commander’s surrender.

Engagement Between the U.S. Frigate "Constitution" and H.M.S. "Java" December 1812Artist: Carlton Theodore Chapman1896Oil on canvas; 24 x 36 in. New York Historical Society. 1925.114. The Naval History Society Collection (John Sanford Barnes Foundation)

These stirring works were inspired by the commemorations surrounding the 1897 centennial of the commissioning of the "Constitution". Long berthed in England, the historic vessel was returned under tow to the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, where she remains. Chapman vividly reimagined the engagement of the "Constitution" and "Java" as a pair of cinematic before-and-after marine paintings. The first installment shows the two-hour battle well under way, with the ships exchanging fire and after the "Java" has already lost two masts. One sail hangs useless and the other trails in the water. Smoke rising from the decks suggests that the "Java" is already aflame. In the second painting, the battle is over. The defeated and destroyed "Java" is burning in the foreground while a rescue operation is carried out before she is sunk. British survivors are being taken to the victorious American frigate, a dramatic silhouette on the horizon poised against a fiery sunset reflected in the waves and echoed in the blazing bulk of the "Java".

Engagement between the U.S. Frigate "Constitution" and H.M.S. "Java", December 1812Artist: Carlton Theodore Chapman1897Oil on canvas; 24 x 36 in. New York Historical Society. 1925.115. The Naval History Society Collection (John Sanford Barnes Foundation)

These stirring works were inspired by the commemorations surrounding the 1897 centennial of the commissioning of the "Constitution". Long berthed in England, the historic vessel was returned under tow to the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, where she remains. Chapman vividly reimagined the engagement of the "Constitution" and "Java" as a pair of cinematic before-and-after marine paintings. The first installment shows the two-hour battle well under way, with the ships exchanging fire and after the "Java" has already lost two masts. One sail hangs useless and the other trails in the water. Smoke rising from the decks suggests that the "Java" is already aflame. In the second painting, the battle is over. The defeated and

destroyed "Java" is burning in the foreground while a rescue operation is carried out before she is sunk. British survivors are being taken to the victorious American frigate, a dramatic silhouette on the horizon poised

against a fiery sunset reflected in the waves and echoed in the blazing bulk of the "Java".

Hevlyn Benson (1805-1858)Attributed to : Lamquac. 1840 - 1845Oil on canvas; 11 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. New York Historical Society. 1933.2. Gift of Hevlyn D. Benson

The United States established trade relations with China in 1784, when the first American merchant vessel sailed from New York to Canton. This lively commerce generated schools of Chinese artists who provided foreign mariners with images of themselves and their vessels. This small portrait records the features of Hevlyn Benson who, according to family tradition, made many successful voyages to China aboard the "Morrison", one of the fastest ships of her time. The artist may be Lamqua, a prolific painter in the Western style working in Canton; the elaborate frame is also of Chinese production. Benson is portrayed as a well-dressed gentleman at leisure seated before a window. On the table at his left is a mariner’s spyglass; the harbor view beyond shows a ship at anchor, undoubtedly the "Morrison".

New York HarborArtist: Edward Moranc. 1880Oil on canvas; 18 x 24 in. New York Historical Society. 1935.71. Museum Purchase

Edward was the equally talented brother of the better-known Thomas Moran. His relish for marine painting is evident in this view looking north toward the Battery in which he captures the bustle of the harbor, as steamships, tugboats, fishing trawlers, and pleasure boats appear to collide

in their attempt to share the crowded waters of the upper bay. The smoking tugboat in the foreground tows a pair of lighters or barges, freed of their cargo; drying laundry on one adds a picturesque domestic note. Restless waters churn in the immediate foreground, demonstrating Moran’s acclaimed skill in depicting the mass and motion of these ever-changing reflective surfaces.

Battle of Port Hudson, March 14, 1863Artist: Julian Oliver Davidsonc. 1886Oil on canvas; 15 5/8 x 22 in.New York Historical Society. 1936.801. Gift of the Naval History Society

These two exciting reenactments of Civil War naval engagements were painted by Davidson for a still-famous suite of 18 chromolithographs issued in the later 1880s titled "Prang’s War Pictures". This meticulously painted battle scene documents an episode during the Union campaigns to secure control of the Mississippi River. From fortifications on the steep bluffs beside Port Hudson, Confederate forces fire on the fleet of ships below, commanded by Admiral David Farragut, attempting to run past the batteries under cover of darkness. Our perspective from the high bluffs conveys the confusion and visual drama of a night battle as fiery artillery bursts and smoke obscure much of the river below.

Battle of Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864Artist: Julian Oliver Davidson1886Oil on canvas; 15 5/8 x 21 1/2 in. New York Historical Society. 1936.802. Gift of the Naval History Society

Davidson’s panoramic view of the gulf coast at dawn shows the battle formation of Union warships and ironclads, all under Admiral Farragut’s command, exchanging fire with the defenders of Fort Morgan and with Confederate gunboats and ironclads. The artist documented the decisive point in the battle when a Union ironclad in the middle distance is exploding and sinking quickly after striking a mine. The attackers are in momentary disarray, and Confederate forces press their advantage by delivering a powerful barrage of fire on the invaders. The outcome was uncertain until Farragut sailed forward to lead the fleet to victory, issuing his now-legendary command: “Damn the torpedoes! Go ahead full speed!”

SnuffboxArtist: Unidentified Artistc. 1816Brass, tin; 1/2 x 1 1/2 x 2 3/4 in. New York Historical Society. 1937.66. Gift of Bernard ConeObject number: L.TCTS.2014.1937.66

Many snuff boxes made for the American market during and after the War of 1812 featured portraits of naval officers and images of American naval victories; both were usually based upon popular prints. The flat round lid of a papier-mâché snuffbox presents a miniature battle-piece of the famous encounter between the USS "Constitution" and the HMS "Guerriere". Carlton Chapman’s later painting of that battle is on display in the exhibition. Stephen Decatur’s celebrity as a national hero inspired mass media images of his likeness, seen here as applied to the rectangular brass snuffbox where the victorious Commodore appears as a die-stamped bust in relief. Rembrandt Peale’s handsome portrait of Decatur is also on view nearby.

The East RiverArtist: Carlton Theodore Chapman1904Oil on canvas; 17 x 35 in. New York Historical Society. 1938.425. Gift of Mrs. Carlton T. Chapman

The Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883, spanning the East River and connecting the cities of New York and Brooklyn. A spectacular feat of modern American engineering, John Augustus Roebling’s suspension bridge is supported by a pair of towers whose soaring Gothic arches also nod to the Old World. The artist enlists the bridge as an organizing picturesque element to assert a visual experience of New York City (and Brooklyn) as a maritime environment. The Brooklyn Bridge frames a panoramic vista of the breezy, busy harbor, capturing in 1904 a view that is still today the classic image of modern twin cities on the edge of the Atlantic.

Sinking of the "Ville du Havre", November 22, 1873Artist: Wesley Webberc. 1874Oil on canvas; 24 x 40 in. New York Historical Society. 1938.437. Museum Purchase

Webber is little known today, but his dramatic painting graphically details a famous marine disaster. En route from New York to France, the "Ville du Havre" collided with the Scottish iron clipper "Loch Earn", sinking in twelve minutes with the loss of 226 lives; only 87 people survived. Webber re-created a detailed bird’s-eye view of the final minutes of the "Ville du Havre" and many of her passengers. The painting is moderate in scale but depicts the vast nocturnal mid-Atlantic under a starry sky. The dark ocean is illuminated only by the catastrophe itself, as flames from the stacks of the doomed ship cast a lurid glow over crowds of passengers struggling amid the wreckage on the decks and in the dark waters near the half-submerged ship. The clipper appears at the left as a dark silhouette.

New York Harbor and the BatteryArtist: Andrew Melrose1885Oil on canvas; 22 x 36 in. New York Historical Society. 1939.585. Museum Purchase, James B. Wilbur Fund

The artist combines landscape and genre in his portrayal of Castle Garden as a prominent feature of his animated view of the park on the Battery and the busy port beyond. By 1885 landfill had connected the formerly water-bound structure to Manhattan Island. Well positioned right on the harbor, the old fort had been used for several decades as an immigration center. The foreground promenade provides a sunny stage for fashionable New Yorkers out for a stroll, as well as recent arrivals to Castle Garden with their bundles and boxes. The site would be turned over to New York City in 1890 and converted to an aquarium in 1896. Today the restored fort can be visited as Castle Clinton, a national historic site.

Octant and CaseArtist: Cary, London1850 - 1870Oak, brass, ebony, bone and paint; 13 x 11 3/4 x 4 in. case; 12 x 10 x 4 in. octantNew York Historical Society. 1939.504ab. Gift of George A. Zabriskie

The octant is a reflecting navigational instrument to measure the degree of altitude of heavenly bodies in the calculation of longitude. The handsome oak case for this important implement is decorated with an image thought to represent Jenny Lind, the internationally famous Swedish opera singer known as the “Swedish

Nightingale.”

Ship's LanternArtist: William Porter's Sons1877Brass, glass and cotton; 10 1/2 x 7 3/8 x 7 in. New York Historical Society. 1941.821. Museum Purchase, James B. Wilbur Fund

This ship’s lantern is said to be from the steamboat "Saratoga" (1877-1919). The inscription on the glass shade: “A Parsell, Steamer Saratoga” suggests that the lantern was intended as a presentation piece of a type awarded to ship’s officers upon retirement or transfer.

Presentation Soup TureenArtist: Simon Chaudron1816Silver; 16 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 8 1/2 in. New York Historical Society. 1942.544ab. The Eugene H. Pool Collection of Captain James Lawrence, Gift of Dr. Eugene H. Pool

This large and elaborate tureen, adorned with Athena as the cover finial and cast foliate handles with Neptune-mask terminals, was presented posthumously by citizens of Philadelphia to Captain James Lawrence (1781-1813) for heroic actions during the War of 1812. He commanded ships off the coasts of South America and Halifax and gained acclaim for leading the USS "Hornet’s" legendary attack on the British HMS "Peacock" on February 24, 1813. Only few months later, Lawrence died while

commanding the "Chesapeake" during battle with the HMS "Shannon". His supposed last words, to be immortalized as the Navy’s battle cry: “Don’t give up the ship,” are inscribed on James Guy Evans’s painting nearby

Ship in a StormArtist: Thomas Birch

1841Oil on canvas; 3/4 × 18 × 27 1/8 in. New York Historical Society. 1945.451. Gift of Mrs. Louis A. Gillet

As American’s best-known early marine painter, Birch was able to portray a wide range of maritime subject matter. He moved easily from battle subjects and harbor views to romantic seascapes like "Ship in a Storm" that explore the perils of the sea. Here, the unseen crew of a brig struggles to maintain control of their ship, perhaps already aground in the heavy-weather gale that drives the rough sea to break in huge waves against massive boulders and hidden ledges of the lee shore. The ship itself is the major actor in a drama of the elements. Nature is the adversary.

Hong Kong Island, Victoria Peak and the Harbor, Painted from KowloonArtist: Unidentified Artist1850Oil on canvas; 7 x 10 3/4 in. New York Historical Society. 1946.80. Gift of Alice Temple Parkin

The China trade created a vast commercial maritime network between the West and certain Chinese ports. Local artists also provided merchants and mariners with Western-style views of harbors and factories. The famous Canton factories did not actually manufacture goods. Instead, these waterfront buildings served as trading quarters for international commerce. The flags of five nations indicate Canton’s importance in the global maritime commerce of the mid-nineteenth century. A medley of exotic Chinese vessels pass by on the Pearl River including, at the far right, one of the famous Canton floating brothels called “flower boats.” A matching panoramic vista of Hong Kong harbor viewed from Kowloon features Western sailing ships and steamboats. By 1850 this busy port was already a British Crown colony.

Factories at Canton (from the Harbor), ChinaArtist: Unidentified Artist1850Oil on canvas; 6 7/8 x 10 3/4 in. New York Historical Society. 1946.82. Gift of

Alice Temple Parkin

The China trade created a vast commercial maritime network between the West and certain Chinese ports. Local artists also provided merchants and mariners with Western-style views of harbors and factories. The famous Canton factories did not

actually manufacture goods. Instead, these waterfront buildings served as trading quarters for international commerce. The flags of five nations indicate Canton’s importance in the global maritime commerce of the mid-nineteenth century. A medley of exotic Chinese vessels pass by on the Pearl River including, at the far right, one of the famous Canton floating brothels called “flower boats.” A matching panoramic vista of Hong Kong harbor viewed from Kowloon features Western

sailing ships and steamboats. By 1850 this busy port was already a British Crown colony.

View of Hudson River from Tarrytown HeightsArtist: Robert Havell Jr.c. 1842Oil on canvas; 22 × 30 in. New York Historical Society. 1946.179. Gift of Harry Peck Havell

Havell was an English artist who worked with John James Audubon on "The Birds of America" (1827–38). He later immigrated, settling on the banks of the Hudson River. Here he portrays the broad estuary from Tarrytown Heights, one of the river’s widest points, where sailing craft and steamboats populate the Tappan Zee. While the busy river carried maritime traffic of all kinds, the Hudson’s banks provided magnificent views for cottages and villas, signaling the rapid development of the upper Hudson as a suburb for New York City. A charming yellow country house on the east bank, with its surrounding gardens, is featured in the foreground.

Schooner "Lewis R. Mackey"Artist: James Bard1854Oil on canvas; 33 1/4 x 52 1/8 x 1 in.New York Historical Society. 1947.66. Gift of George A. Zabriskie

Bard’s delightful painting shows a typical Hudson River schooner sailing on the wide expanse of Haverstraw Bay with flags and pennants flying, and in the company of sporting dolphins. In 1866 a famous Hudson River guidebook described the fauna of Haverstraw Bay just north of the Tappan Zee: “Here the fresh and salt water usually contend most equally for the mastery; and here the

porpoise, a sea-water fish, is often seen in large number, sporting in the summer sun.” This vessel was likely not a pleasure craft but a working boat that carried cargo to New York from the brickworks at Haverstraw, reminding us that the Hudson River served many extractive industries in the region and was then, as now, an important commercial as well as a recreational waterway.

A Privateersman AshoreArtist: Howard Pyle

1893Oil on Russell's canvas board; 1/16 × 18 7/8 × 12 in. New York Historical Society. 1948.28. Gift of George A. Zabriskie

A gifted and prolific artist-illustrator, Pyle was well known for his depictions of American historical subjects. This striking grisaille painting was created for an article about the history of New York in "Harper’s New Monthly Magazine". It is full of historically accurate details with which he re-creates the Battery and Castle Clinton at the time of the War of 1812 as the setting for the audacious privateer who postures in the foreground. Taking his cue from the article, Pyle portrays a strutting freebooter in jaunty quasi-naval attire, confronting us boldly while more sober citizens observe their exotic visitor from a safe distance. Their attitudes suggest the ambivalence attached to these raiders who operated on the margins of maritime law at sea and polite society ashore.

Yacht "America"Artist: Unidentified Artist1851Oil on canvas; 22 1/8 x 30 1/8 in. New York Historical Society. 1949.47. Gift of Henry O. Havemeyer

As the era of swift sailing ships waned and steam power came to dominate maritime commerce (and warfare), yacht racing emerged as a major international sport in contests of nautical skills that continue today. Thus, speed under sail would continue to play an important role in maritime realms but now was driven more by sporting competition than by commercial gain. A spirited portrait by an unknown artist portrays the famous racing yacht "America", which first captured the British Royal Yacht Squadron’s trophy in 1851. Afterward known as the America’s Cup, the trophy was in the keeping of the New York Yacht Club from 1851 until 1983.

Forcing The Hudson River Passage, October 9, 1776Artist: William Joyc. 1835Oil on canvas; 28 1/2 x 46 1/4 in. New York Historical Society. 1951.69. Gift of the Travelers Insurance Company

One of the most dramatic images of naval combat during the Revolutionary War was commissioned in England to celebrate an important British victory, when British ships broke through the American defenses at what is today Washington Heights to gain command of the Hudson River. Three British frigates, HMS

"Tartar', "Roebuck", and "Phoenix", accompanied by two smaller vessels, sail boldly through the wooden barriers set up in the channel on the New York side of the river. Clouds of smoke rise as the squadron is attacked by American batteries at Fort Constitution on the summit of the Palisades, in New Jersey, and from Fort Washington on the New York side.

Mrs. Daniel Truman and ChildAttributed to : Reuben Moulthropc. 1798 - 1810Oil on canvas; 38 3/4 x 37 1/4 in. New York Historical Society. 1951.69. Museum Purchase

Mrs. Truman and her winsome little girl holding flowers embody the domestic side of maritime life. In their portrait, mother and child are shown at home on Fair Street in New Haven, Connecticut. They are seated near an open door through which we glimpse a tidy garden bounded by a white fence. Beyond lies a distant view of the New Haven harbor with several ships

at anchor. The figure standing at the garden gate looking out to sea is said to be her husband, Daniel, who was a ship’s captain.

SpyglassArtist: Spencer Browning & Rustc. 1800 - 1810Brass, wood and glass; 15 5/8 x 2 1/2 in. New York Historical Society. 1956.165. Gift of Mrs. Bayard Verplanck

The small handheld telescope, known as a spyglass or glass, has long been an indispensable nautical instrument used to survey ocean expanses and the heavens alike. Not surprisingly, this implement appears as an attribute in many mariners’ portraits

including several on display here.

James Gordon Bennett, Jr. (1841-1918)Artist: Alexis-Joseph Pérignon1867Oil on canvas; 51 1/4 x 38 1/4 in. New York Historical Society. 1957.80. Gift of Mrs. Arthur S. Grossman

Yacht racing was championed by wealthy sportsmen like James Gordon Bennett Jr., shown here in a fashionable nautical portrait of 1867 painted in Paris, perhaps to mark his election that

year as vice commodore of the New York Yacht Club.

In 1867 Bennett also took over as publisher of the "New York Herald" when his father retired. The elegant young man is in naval uniform (he had served during the Civil War), seated before an expanse of sea and sky on the open deck of his yacht, "Henrietta", in which he had won a celebrated transatlantic race just the year before. Flamboyant and eccentric, Bennett enjoyed a successful and, at times, notorious career as an international newspaper publisher, continuing to pursue his lifelong passion for sailing.

Captain David BushArtist: Unidentified Artist1812Oil on canvas; 26 × 21 5/8 in. New York Historical Society. 1963.48. Bequest of Irving S. Olds

Two lively portraits painted around 1800 by unknown artists of modest training portray seafaring American citizens. David Abeel had served as a midshipman on the frigate "Alliance" during the Revolutionary War and later became captain of a merchant vessel. Abeel is shown before a view of the open sea wearing the dark blue coat with gold buttons typical of a ship’s

officer. He holds dividers in his right hand while unrolling a chart with his left, as if plotting a course. Behind him sails a three-masted vessel flying an American flag and commissioning pennants.

A marine view and nautical attributes served another unidentified artist as the proper setting to record the handsome features of a young man said to be Captain David Bush, who served in the War of 1812. He wields a mariner’s telescope, or spyglass, while posing before a sprightly seascape to signal maritime enterprises.

Escape of HMS “Belvidera” from the U.S. Frigate “President,” June 1812Artist: Thomas Buttersworthc. 1815Oil on canvas; 16 x 22 in. New York Historical Society. 1963.58. Bequest of Irving S. Olds

During the War of 1812, the English marine painter Thomas Buttersworth addressed both American and British audiences with his portrayals of key naval engagements on the high seas between the United States and Great Britain. This brilliant little battle painting is one of a pair and portrays the American navy on the attack. Three days after war was declared on June 18, 1812, an American squadron put to sea. On June 23, it sighted the British frigate, gave chase, and a long, running fight ensued before the "Belvidera" escaped. The "President" is seen at the right exchanging fire with the "Belvidera". The darkening sky enhances the drama

of cannon fire and billowing smoke of battle as the two ships fire broadsides at each other and cannonballs splash into the sea.

Running Action between the U.S. Frigate “President” and HMS “Endymion,” January 1815Artist: Thomas Buttersworth1815Oil on canvas; 16 x 22 in. New York Historical Society. 1963.59. Bequest

of Irving S. Olds

Buttersworth’s pendant work records the British capture of the "President" several years later, then under the command of Captain Stephen Decatur. On the night of January 14, 1815, the President slipped out of the blockaded New York Harbor. All during the following day, British vessels gave chase. Unable to outdistance all his pursuers, Decatur turned and engaged the "Endymion" at dusk, and we see the ships exchanging fire under an evening sky. After again attempting to escape, he was compelled to surrender on January 16, and the American prize was taken to Bermuda. However, the war had ended, and Decatur was later released. Prints after Buttersworth’s renditions of these two dramatic encounters were published in London some months later.

Fishing in a Catboat in Great South BayArtist: Junius Brutus Stearns1871Oil on canvas; 29 x 39 1/4 in. New York Historical Society. 1964.21. Gift of Otto von Kienbusch

Junius Brutus Stearns’s delightful saltwater fishing expedition skillfully combines genre, sporting, and portrait painting. The subjects do not turn to face the painter and pose but are portrayed as if fully engaged with deploying their fishing lines. Costume distinguishes the local mariner who pilots the catboat from the more fashionable day-trippers who fill his vessel. The gently humorous episode evokes the popularity of seaside leisure in the latter decades of the nineteenth century. Stearns also captures the light and atmosphere of open water off the southern shore of Long Island, rendered here with as much conviction as he does the smart little sailboat that provides a maritime setting for his charming social narrative.

New York HarborArtist: Thomas Birch1813Oil on canvas; 20 1/4 x 30 1/4 x 3/4 in. New York Historical Society. 1971.118. Gift of Mrs. Ethel McCullough Scott, John G. McCullough, and Mrs. Edith McCullough

Heaphy, 1971

Birch presents an expansive view of the vast harbor as a convincing seascape as well as a pageant of maritime activities. Our nautical vantage point is from a boat out on the waters of the upper bay. Castle Williams, the round fortification on Governor’s Island, is seen at the right, and a distant vista of the New York skyline appears at the center. Birch skillfully conveyed not only the topographic landmarks of the port but also a convincing sense of atmospherics in a beautifully realized waterscape in which flags are flying, sails are filled with wind, and whitecaps crest the swells in the foreground.

Castle Garden, New York CityArtist: Jasper Francis Cropsey1859Oil on canvas; 15 1/8 x 24 1/4 in.New York Historical Society. 1972.13. Museum Purchase, Thomas Jefferson Bryan Fund

Cropsey returned to the subject some years later in this larger painting, based on the same study but showing the theater at night. Sunshine is replaced by the drama of a cloudy night sky with the full moon illuminating the dark waters that

careful looking will reveal are still thronged with boats. Cold moonlight is paired with the contrasting glow of lanterns aboard shadowy vessels, lending an aura of romantic mystery to the looming mass of the fortress and surrounding walkways. These two paintings of day and night suggest that New York City was, even then, open around the clock for business and entertainment.

Off City Island, New YorkArtist: Francis Augustus Silva1870Oil on canvas; 20 1/4 x 40 1/4 in. New York Historical Society. 1975.22. Museum Purchase, Thomas Jefferson Bryan Fund

Silva was a self-taught but gifted marine painter who excelled at capturing certain aerial and atmospheric effects, typically focusing on remote stretches of river and coast. In these works, he exploited the great expanse of open sky and the fleeting effects of weather and the time of day to create poetic waterscapes. The artist has suffused the entire environment in a warm glow that mutes all maritime energies, transforming the passage of ships into the realm of maritime leisure. In this quiet channel, the almost still and luminous waters reflect the sails of becalmed schooners and a sloop. City Island is said to be visible in the distance, which places the scene on Eastchester Bay at the western end of Long Island Sound.

New York HarborArtist: Francis Augustus Silva1880Oil on canvas; 12 × 20 in. New York Historical Society. 1975.29. Gift of the Pintard Fellows

Silva explored the waterways in and around the harbor to find the subjects for his luminous waterscapes. The artist transforms the busy port of New York into a romantic vista by portraying the expanse of water radiant with sunset’s glow. On the left, sails, masts, pilings, and docks seem to stretch as far as the eye can see, indicating the waterfront and a city unseen. Open waters at the right fade away into evening mists, suggesting limitless horizons. At the center, a husky tugboat steams toward us; its homely profile is in sharp contrast to the graceful sailing vessels nearby.

The Narrows and Fort Lafayette, Ships Coming Into PortArtist: Samuel Coleman1868Oil on canvas; 30 x 60 in. New York Historical Society. 1976.2. Museum Purchase, The Watson Fund

Colman, known for his landscapes and port scenes, painted this sweeping view of the Narrows, the channel at the mouth of New York Harbor, looking west. In the far left distance, Fort Wadsworth on the shore of Staten Island can be seen. The

massive walls of Fort Lafayette, built on a small island in the waterway, dominate the center of the painting. During the Civil War, the fort had housed Confederate prisoners of war and political prisoners. Nevertheless, the mood is mellow; the vista is bathed in the golden glow of afternoon sun. Two artists observe the passing scene from the Brooklyn waterside. Majestic merchant vessels are drifting before Fort Wadsworth, carried by the tide into the harbor.

A Sketch of Castle GardenArtist: Jasper Francis Cropsey1851Oil on canvas; 10 1/2 x 16 3/8 in. New York Historical Society. 1977.76. Museum Purchase, Thomas Jefferson Bryan Fund

The artist, who was trained as an architect, made a careful drawing of Castle Garden in 1851, keenly observing the intricacies of the actual structure and the site. He used that study for a series of views painted over the course of a decade, two of which are shown here. All of these paintings exploited the picturesque possibilities of the old fort, by then converted to a theater, and its situation at the southernmost tip of Manhattan Island. This fluidly painted oil sketch is small but expansive, offering a vista of the harbor busy with maritime traffic and a dramatic sky overhead. Cropsey presented this work to Jenny Lind, the Swedish soprano who had made her American debut at Castle Garden in 1850.

Whale's Tooth, ScrimshawArtist: Unidentified Artist1840 - 1860Ivory, black ink; 5 1/8 x 2 1/2 x 1 1/8 in. New York Historical Society. 1981.31. Gift of Colonel Henry O. Havemeyer

Scrimshaw is the name given to the decorative and practical objects carved by whalers during their leisure hours at sea from the jawbones or teeth of whales and walrus tusks. Although permutations of the word "scrimshaw" and theories abound, the origin of this mid-nineteenth century term remains unknown. Decorations were often based on images from popular prints such as the rousing War of 1812 subject of the "Constitution" battling the "Guerriere" engraved on the surface of a whale’s tooth. Engraved on the other tooth is a detailed view of the practice and perils of whale hunting. One whale is dead, marked with a ‘waif’ flag identifying the carcass for later pick-up. Another whale capsizes a vessel.

Herman Melville mentions the whaling crew’s production of scrimshaw in his great seafaring novel "Moby Dick" (1851). “Some of them have little boxes of dentistical-looking implements, specifically intended for the skrimshandering business. But, in

general, they toil with their jackknives alone.”

Whale's Tooth, ScrimshawArtist: Unidentified Artist1840-1860Ivory, black ink; 3 1/8 x 7 1/4 x 2 1/4 in.New York Historical Society. 1981.33. Gift of Colonel Henry O. Havemeyer

Review of the U.S. Fleet in New York Harbor, April 27, 1893Artist: Andrew Meyer1893Oil on linen; 18 1/4 x 40 1/4 in.New York Historical Society. 1986.17. Museum Purchase, Thomas Jefferson Bryan Fund

An amateur artist named “Andy Meyer” painted this lively vernacular portrayal of New York’s harbor as the setting for ceremonial naval pageantry staged as part of the opening ceremonies of the Columbian Exposition. President Grover Cleveland aboard the USS "Dolphin" reviewed a fleet of 35 warships carrying more than 10,000 officers, seamen, and marines from some 20 nations. We are situated among the crowds on the ramparts of Castle Williams on Governor’s Island seen at the lower left. Meyer’s panoramic view charts the vessels as they paraded in double columns before the Statue of Liberty, presented by France to the United States and dedicated by President Cleveland in 1886.

State Department Lifesaving MedalArtist: Francis H. Koehler1862Bronze; 63.9mm (2 1/2 inches) diameterNew York Historical Society. 2008.42.368. Gift of the Naval History Society, 1925

Joseph Francis Lifesaving MedallionArtist: Louis St. Gaudens1890Bronze; 102.5mm (4 1/16 inches) diameterNew York Historical Society. 2008.42.370. Gift of the Naval History Society, 1925

The frequency of marine disasters in the nineteenth century inspired efforts to improve maritime safety practices. Medals were also struck by the United States Mint, beginning in the 1850s, to recognize those who saved the lives of shipwrecked mariners. The miniature rescue drama on the lifesaving medal was executed by Koehler, a talented die cutter and engraver of jewelry.

Efforts to develop better lifesaving equipment were also recognized. The bronze Joseph Francis lifesaving medallion was modeled after the Congressional Gold Medal (now in the Smithsonian) awarded to Francis in 1890 for his endeavors. The medal portrays a shipwreck with Francis’s most famous invention in operation. His metallic life-car, credited with saving thousands of lives, is shown transporting the passengers and crew to safety from a stranded vessel foundering offshore. The sculptor was the brother of Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

The Sailor's GraveArtist: Richard Morell Staiggc. 1862Oil on millboard; 13 × 10 3/8 in. New York Historical Society. S-38. The Robert L. Stuart

Collection

"The Sailor’s Grave" presents the aftermath of loss at sea. The storm has passed and a mood of quiet melancholy pervades this modestly scaled but poignant little figure painting. Two young girls on the seashore mourn at the grave of a father or brother as the very waves that may have claimed him roll in behind them. The work is a touching reminder of the tragic consequences of such marine disasters. The title evokes a popular poem of the 1820s, reminding us of the rich seafaring literature that parallels these marine painting.

Sunset on the CoastArtist: John Frederick Kensett1861Oil on canvas; 18 x 30 in. New York Historical Society. S-42. The Robert L. Stuart Collection

Kensett’s "Sunset on the Coast" is similar in composition to "Pulpit Rock", but, as the title suggests, it is not site-specific: it depicts an isolated coastline unpopulated except for a solitary waterfowl. Distant sails on the horizon do nothing to dispel the sense of solitude on a remote shore bathed in the glow of the setting sun, suggesting a site for romantic meditation on matters both spiritual and geologic, as breaking waves beat on the sands beneath looming rock ledges.

Pupit Rock, NahantArtist: John Frederick Kensett1859Oil on canvas; 18 x 30 in. New York Historical Society. S-84. The Robert L. Stuart Collection

One of the first major landscape painters to develop a strong interest in painting coastal terrain, Kensett portrayed the New England and New Jersey seaboard. However, his artistic interpretations were not conventionally picturesque, as we see here. The artist depicted the dramatic setting of Pulpit Rock, a prominent landmark at the fashionable seaside resort near Boston, a site for geologic investigations by the famed Harvard geologist Louis Agassiz. Agassiz documented evidence of ancient volcanic and glacial activity in the gigantic rock ledges that

formed the coast. The care with which Kensett records the massive jutting profile of red-hued igneous rock suggests he was also aware of geologic forces. Pulpit Rock was destroyed by a nor’easter in 1951.

Wreck on the Isle of JerseyArtist: Mauritz Frederick Hendrick De Haasc. 1862Oil on canvas; 17 x 32 in. New York Historical Society. S-89. The Robert L. Stuart Collection

Trained in Holland and settling in New York in 1859, De Haas enjoyed great success as a marine painter. His painterly skills are evident in this portrayal of the most dreaded of maritime disasters unfolding within sight of the lighthouse that should be a beacon of safety in this dangerous passage. Crowds clustered near the lighthouse on the cliffs above the channel are helpless witnesses as huge storm-driven waves overwhelm the vessels foundering on the rocks below. Storm clouds and rough seas seem to merge into a boiling mass of vapors and waves. Errant beams of light break through the clouds to highlight the sails and foaming waves in the foreground, reinforcing the tragic drama playing out below.

Tropical Sunset at SeaArtist: Mauritz Frederick Hendrick De Haasc. 1862Oil on canvas; 24 x 34 in. New York Historical Society. S-109. The Robert L. Stuart Collection

De Haas’s luminous marine painting portrays a splendid vessel under the American flag being guided into a huge harbor by a small steam vessel. The tall ship is dramatically silhouetted against a spectacular sunset. The disk of the setting sun throws the tower of sail into sharp profile against the glow of the twilight sky. While distant waters are darkened by cloud cover on the horizon, the sun still tints the edges of cloud masses whose soaring shape echo the ship in the foreground. The romantic title resonates with suggestions of sultry climates in exotic ports of call, evoking the thrill of seafaring adventure in faraway places.

U.S. Ships of the Line “Delaware” and “North Carolina” and Frigates “Brandywine” and “Constellation”Artist: James Guy Evansc. 1835 -1860Oil on canvas; 31 3/4 × 44 1/8 in. New York Historical Society. X.160. Gift of an Anonymous Donor

By 1794 American coasts and shipping were protected by the fleet of a newly established United States Navy. This splendid painting commemorates American military power and national identity in a brilliantly colored maritime pageant recording four warships under full sail. The "Delaware" and "North Carolina" each mounted 74 guns and were ships of the line, so called because their armaments were powerful enough to lie in the line of battle where opposing fleets sailed parallel while firing at each other. The "Brandywine" and "Constellation" were frigates carrying 36 and 44 guns, respectively. The "Delaware" at the left can be identified by the distinctive figurehead of the Delaware Chief Tamenund. Names of the vessels as well as the navy’s motto, “Don’t give up the ship,” are inscribed

below.

An April Day, New YorkArtist: Arthur Quartley1881Oil on canvas; 28 1/8 x 44 1/4 x 7/8 in. New York Historical Society. X.720.

Hailed as an artist of great promise, Quartley died in 1886 after a short career of only little more than a decade. This large and ambitious painting with its lively brushwork and silvery gray tonalities was much admired when exhibited in 1881. One critic offered an eloquent tribute: “It is the familiar North River Battery reach, with admirable cloud treatment. From the Bay the lower part of the city is seen in the distance, the mass of buildings rising in dim outline. The spire of old Trinity towers above the rest like a watchful guardian. . . . Away over in Long Island a storm is in progress, and is rapidly approaching the city. The fickle sky, the force and sweep of the wind, and the swollen sea, admirably express the feeling of a characteristic "April Day".”

SnuffboxArtist: Unidentified Artist1812 - 1830Papier-mâché, paint; 3/4 x 3 3/8 in. ( 1.9 x 8.6 cm ) overallNew York Historical Society. Z.1851ab

Many snuff boxes made for the American market during and after the War of 1812 featured portraits of naval officers and images of American naval victories; both were usually based upon popular prints. The flat round lid of a papier-mâché snuffbox presents a miniature battle-piece of the famous encounter between the USS "Constitution" and the HMS "Guerriere". Carlton Chapman’s later painting of that battle is on display in the exhibition. Stephen Decatur’s celebrity as a national hero inspired mass media images of his likeness, seen here as applied to the rectangular brass snuffbox where the victorious Commodore appears as a die-stamped bust in relief. Rembrandt Peale’s handsome portrait of Decatur is also on view nearby.