On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Lighthouse Breakwater
Linnaeus Tripe British
Not on view
In 1812, when construction began on the Plymouth Breakwater, seen here, it was the largest, most ambitious marine engineering undertaking of its time. A mile long and made of 3,768,879 tons of stone, it took thirty-eight years to complete. When finished, the breakwater allowed forty battleships and numerous merchant vessels to anchor safely in its shelter. The plunging perspective in Tripe’s picture emphasizes the project’s massive scale.
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
