Robert Swain Gifford

American, 1840 - 1905

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See all 12 works of art
The image shows a landscape with an expansive sky filled with swirling clouds rendered in detailed hatching. The horizon line sits low above distant water and land. Fine lines create texture and depth, portraying movement in the clouds and trees. The color palette is monochromatic with shades of brown and black. The foreground features grasses, shrubs, and a twisted tree with bare swaying branches. In the distance, smaller trees and bushes are visible amidst light and shadows.
Robert Swain Gifford, Near the Coast [large plate], 1886, etching, Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Gift of Reba and Dave Williams, 2008.115.2046

Near the Coast [large plate]

Robert Swain Gifford · 1886 · etching ·  Accession ID  2008.115.2046

The image shows a landscape viewed from a low perspective with the horizon slightly above the center. In the distance, there is a line of trees and bushes along the horizon, with a prominent, windswept tree leaning to the right. The brushstrokes create a textured effect capturing the movement of the wind. The color palette is monochromatic with shades of sepia and dark brown. The sky has swirling clouds rendered in light strokes, with detailed lines depicting grasses and low vegetation in the foreground.
Robert Swain Gifford, Near the Coast [small plate], 1886, etching, Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Gift of Reba and Dave Williams, 2008.115.2705.3

Near the Coast [small plate]

Robert Swain Gifford · 1886 · etching ·  Accession ID  2008.115.2705.3

The image shows a seascape with a sailboat navigating choppy waters. The viewpoint is slightly elevated, revealing the tops of the waves and the motion of the sea. The horizon is low with a setting sun casting a soft glow on the water. The brushstrokes are defined and expressive, capturing the sea's movement and texture. The color palette is monochromatic, dominated by shades of brown and beige. The sailboat is tilted by the wind, with figures on the deck. Two smaller sailboats are in the distance to the right. The sky above has light cloud-like streaks.
Robert Swain Gifford, Neapolitan Fishing Boats Returning Home, 1884, etching and drypoint, Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Gift of Reba and Dave Williams, 2008.115.2048

Neapolitan Fishing Boats Returning Home

Robert Swain Gifford · 1884 · etching and drypoint ·  Accession ID  2008.115.2048

The image shows a landscape with a path. There is sloping terrain on the left with grass and a windswept tree, while the path curves to the right with rocks and sparse vegetation. In the distance, a person walks towards a body of water with trees and a reflection. The horizon is low with a sky containing subtle cloud forms. The scene is detailed with cross-hatching brushstrokes, creating intricate textures. The color palette is monochrome in shades of gray and black, giving the image a soft, atmospheric quality.
Robert Swain Gifford, American Art Review, The Path to the Shore, 1879, etching in black on laid paper, Corcoran Collection (Gift of Mr. S.R. Koehler, Boston, Massachusetts, 1881), 2015.19.2452

The Path to the Shore

Robert Swain Gifford, American Art Review · 1879 · etching in black on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2015.19.2452

The image features a riverside scene depicted from a ground-level point of view. The horizon is low, showing distant buildings to the left. The style is etching with fine lines and cross-hatching for texture and shading. At the front, there is a sandy shore with logs and a block leading to a docked boat beside a wooden structure. This structure has vertical elements and is central. In the water, a rowing boat with a figure is visible. The color palette is black and gray, creating a somber atmosphere. The background shows a cloudy sky and birds etched with delicate lines.
Robert Swain Gifford, American Art Review, Coal Pockets at New Bedford, 1879, etching in black on laid paper, Corcoran Collection (Gift of Mr. S.R. Koehler, Boston, Massachusetts, 1881), 2015.19.2453

Coal Pockets at New Bedford

Robert Swain Gifford, American Art Review · 1879 · etching in black on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2015.19.2453

The image depicts a detailed etching of a cluster of gnarled trees with twisted and barren branches. The horizon is not visible, focusing tightly on the trees. The etching shows fine lines defining textures of trees and grass, creating a stippled effect. The color palette is monochromatic, using black and white for contrast. Birds are seen in the sky, adding movement to the scene. The background is minimal with faint clouds or mist, suggesting a serene atmosphere.
Robert Swain Gifford, Old Trees at Naushon Island [plate 2], 1865, etching, Reba and Dave Williams Collection, Gift of Reba and Dave Williams, 2008.115.2047

Old Trees at Naushon Island [plate 2]

Robert Swain Gifford · 1865 · etching ·  Accession ID  2008.115.2047

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Famous Etchers: A Series of Twenty Original Etchings by Famous Foreign and American Artists

Stephen James Ferris, Anna Lea Merritt, James David Smillie, Ignaz Marcel Gaugengigl, Stephen Parrish, Edmund Henry Garrett, Peter Moran, Henry Farrer, Frederic Stuart Church, Stephen Alonzo Schoff, Otto Henry Bacher, Paul Lerat, Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, Thomas Moran, Wilhelm Unger, Robert Swain Gifford, Estes and Lauriat · 1889 · bound volume with twenty etching on wove paper ·  Accession ID  2018.44.80

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Evening

Robert Swain Gifford · 1885 · etching ·  Accession ID  1980.45.2343.a

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Original Etchings by American Artists

Various Artists, Sylvester Rosa Koehler, Henry Farrer, Thomas Waterman Wood, Stephen Parrish, Thomas Moran, Joseph Pennell, Frederic Stuart Church, George Henry Smillie, Mary Nimmo Moran, Joseph Foxcroft Cole, Charles A. Platt, Ignaz Marcel Gaugengigl, Hendrick Dirk Kruseman Van Elten, Peter Moran, Samuel Colman, Frederick Dielman, Robert Swain Gifford, Mauritz Frederick Hendrick de Haas, James David Smillie, James Craig Nicoll, John Austin Sands Monks, Cassell & Co. · 1883 · bound volume with twenty etchings ·  Accession ID  2018.44.35

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Poets and Etchers

Albert Fitch Bellows, Samuel Colman, Henry Farrer, Robert Swain Gifford, James David Smillie, Thomas Bailey Aldrich, William Cullen Bryant, Ralph Waldo Emerson, James Russell Lowell, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, James R. Osgood and Company, John Wilson and Son · 1882 · volume with twenty etchings and thirty-two photolithographs ·  Accession ID  2018.44.74