The Smugglers' Cove
This shore scene, painted on gilded leather, may have been done as a decorative commission, presumably early in the artist's career. The romantic subject matter and interest in the sea are typical of Ryder throughout his career. What is more unusual for him is the very thin paint application and the decisive brushwork. Beneath the pigment is a layer of gilt that enhances the texture and gives the painting its warm golden tone. The simplified forms of the houses anticipate modernist works of later American artists such as Charles Burchfield.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Smugglers' Cove
- Artist: Albert Pinkham Ryder (American, New Bedford, Massachusetts 1847–1917 Elmhurst, New York)
- Date: ca. 1880
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on gilt leather
- Dimensions: 10 1/8 x 27 3/4 in. (25.7 x 70.5 cm)
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1909
- Object Number: 09.58.2
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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