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Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Starting June 3
Exhibitions & Events
Featured event:

Block Party
Join us June 6
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

The Shipwreck

c. 1880

Elihu Vedder

Associated Names

Elihu Vedder

Artist, American, 1836 - 1923

The image shows a maritime scene from an elevated point of view. Three boats are navigating rough waters: two small rowing boats with figures and a larger ship in the distance. The horizon blends into the overcast sky with dramatic clouds. The brushstrokes are expressive and loose, capturing the dynamic movement of waves and sky. The color palette is subdued with grays, blues, and white for the frothy water, conveying stormy weather.

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Artwork overview

Medium

charcoal, watercolor, and gouache on blue laid paper
Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Borghi, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Dimensions

sheet: 32.2 × 24.8 cm (12 11/16 × 9 3/4 in.)
Accession Number

1991.105.22

Artwork history & notes

Bibliography

1988

Borghi & Co., Visions of Italy, 1988, 55.

Inscriptions

lower left in graphite: 6 (circled)

Wikidata ID

Q64558421

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