The Toilers of the Sea

Albert Pinkham Ryder American

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 757

Raised in the whaling port of New Bedford, Massachusetts, Ryder continued to be drawn to marine subjects after his 1870 move to New York City. A sea-captain friend once observed that the artist would study the moon on the Hudson River to capture "moonlight effects." In addition to working from nature, Ryder was also inspired by literature. This painting may relate to Victor Hugo’s 1866 novel of the same name. Ryder’s technique of applying pigment in thick layers has altered the surface over time, but this gemlike work still conveys the artist’s haunting vision.

The Toilers of the Sea, Albert Pinkham Ryder (American, New Bedford, Massachusetts 1847–1917 Elmhurst, New York), Oil on wood, American

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